


Of Forgiveness and Hope

by Ailec_12



Series: Anatomy of a Home [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Family Issues, Fix-It, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Past Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Redemption, Sister-Sister Relationship, Trust Issues, enemies to family, issues in general
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2020-10-04 06:57:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 84,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20466899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailec_12/pseuds/Ailec_12
Summary: Sequel toOf Heroes and Love.Certainly, things are better between Regina and Zelena, but major issues are far from being solved and the past has got a way of staying in the present —hasn't it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written and published on FF in 2016.  
I'm back! This part of the series comes with some more additional stories, so I hope you enjoy all of it as it gets posted. Also, chapters will be slightly longer, but I'll try to update at least once a week.

Her head hurt. Slowly, Zelena opened her eyes and the blurry shape of a pair of legs in a torn suit appeared before her. She looked up and saw with sudden, daunting clarity Rumplestiltskin’s face. He stalked towards her threateningly and she found out she could not recoil. She could not even get up —it was as if she were glued to the ground. Frantically, she looked around, but there were no heroes in the barn.

Gazing back up at her former mentor, she tried to get out some words. It was not real. It could not be. There were other people besides them last time. Last time, her sister had stopped the Dark One from getting his revenge on her.

Suddenly, she heard a noise at her left and, as she turned her head, she finally saw Regina. The brunette was standing at a short distance from them. Her face was stone cold, but she had the dagger in her hand and Zelena hardly processed anything beyond that. She even fought a relieved sigh, because everything was going to be all right. There was no need to beg or cry and she could allow herself to put on a good face. It took her several seconds of stilted silence to understand that Regina was not going to move from her spot. She would not use the dagger. That time, the former Queen was not interested in stopping Rumple from killing her.

She turned then her head towards the Dark One. There was not much else to do. Gulping, she realised she should accept her fate with dignity. And yet, she could not help it when her eyes filled with tears.

She did not want to die. She had —would have— a second chance. Things could really get better...

Rumplestiltskin raised a hand over her and...

Zelena woke up sucking air desperately, intense nausea threatening to overcome her. She sat on the bed, still panting and wishing her head would stop spinning, but not daring close her eyes for a second. She barely lasted half a minute before bolting out. Her heart was still beating like crazy and she choked back a sob.

It had been a dream, a nightmare, nothing more. They were not infrequent, but they kept on haunting her even after waking up. The replaying of the scene at the barn was a recurrent one, but other times, Rumple killed her before, back in the Enchanted Forest, or later, while she was locked in the cell at the sheriff’s station. On some occasions, it was Regina who delivered the last blow, and those were the worst ones. She hardly dreamed of Glinda or her father anymore, but the latter left her equally sick.

Fortunately, that day the sun was already beginning to rise. It was always easier to chase nightmares away with sunlight filtering through the curtains. She drew them back, smiling a little. Lately, she had been relishing the small pleasures of life more and more. It should have reminded her of her childhood, but it actually brought her no bad memories.

As every day, she checked on the green spot on her skin. It had almost faded away completely by then. She still found it difficult to believe its disappearance was on her, but Regina had sworn she had had nothing to do with it. The other time that the green had disappeared, back in Oz, it had been more Glinda’s doing than Zelena’s, or so she had reckoned. Now, the redhead truly felt the outcome of her second chance rested in her hands.

Much calmer and slightly in higher spirits, she got out of her bedroom. As she went to the bathroom, she heard clatter downstairs. It puzzled her, because it was still early for her sister to be making breakfast.

Driven by an instinctive need to be unnoticed, she started to descend the staircase, wary of what she could find. She was torn between laughing and getting angry with herself a moment later, when she remembered Regina announcing the previous day that, as she would resume working at the town hall, she would leave early that very morning. Her foolish paranoia undiscovered, Zelena kept going down at a normal pace.

She found the brunette rushing around the kitchen, a coffee mug forgotten on the counter. The ginger allowed a corner of her mouth to tug up slightly at the sight. She leant against the door frame, willing to let her sister notice her on her own. She knew how much the other woman despised being caught by surprise.

“Zelena!” Regina predictably chided when she turned around and got scared. Her annoyance did not last long, though. “What are you doing up so early?”

“I just woke up,” she shrugged off the question. “What are you doing cooking?” she asked in turn as she entered the kitchen.

“Making you lunch for later. I won’t be back until 5 p.m.”

Zelena nodded, busying herself with a cup of tea. She supposed that it was nice to have someone cooking for her for a change. Even if it was just because the other person thought there was no other option. During the few months she had been living there, she had managed to learn how most of the appliances worked. Yet, she had not told Regina she could actually cook. If she had, she was sure the brunette would not let her cook for anyone else but herself. And so, it would be another proof that her sister did not trust her. A proof Zelena did not really need or want to have.

So this would be the new routine, thought Zelena, pushing aside her previous musings. People leaving earlier and coming in the evening. Henry had not slept there that night, but he had also started school at last, after having missed some weeks. Not that it really mattered. If Regina was not in the house, Henry could not, either.

“Zelena.”

The use of her name snapped her out of her thoughts and she saw the brunette approach where she was standing. Distantly, she noticed the cup of tea still in her hands growing lukewarm and untasted.

“Yes?” she replied, slightly startled.

“Something the matter? You seemed pretty deep in thought.” It was puzzling that Regina chose to ask about her instead of getting offended by her lack of attention.

“I’m okay. Just thinking.” And it was quite a lame answer at that, but thankfully, the brunette knew when not to keep pressing the issue.

Her sister just smiled at her softly.

“I was asking if you’ll be okay.”

At another time, such a question would have upset her. At the time being, however, she was finally —more or less— convinced that Regina’s concern was honest. Thus, she forced a smile and replied,

“Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“All right. Here, this is my phone number. You remember how to use the landline telephone, don’t you?”

Zelena did roll her eyes at that point. Sisterly concern could be obnoxious sometimes.

“Yes,” she replied anyway.

Regina decided to ignore her exasperation as she hurried around the kitchen. She seemed to be running late and yet, she stopped a moment next to the redhead for a final piece of advice.

“Well, should you need anything, you call me, okay? I have to go now.”

And, with that, her sister was gone.

Once Zelena was alone, she let out a soft sigh. She took her time to eat breakfast and, then, she busied herself with reading and watching TV in order to avoid thinking about anything in particular —like how lonely she was back to feeling. Even though she understood Regina had a life, she was afraid of feeling too jealous again. The green had not even disappeared yet! Controlling her jealousy felt a lot like controlling her magic during her youth: an impossible task. Nevertheless, in the end, she had managed to do the latter. And so, she needed to believe she could do the impossible once more.

Lunch hour came and, although it was not the first time she ate alone, it felt somewhat different.

“You’re just being silly,” she scolded herself. She might have got too used to being surrounded by others, though, because she could not shake off the strange anguish that weighed her down.

She walked up and down the house, nothing holding her interest for long. She ended up checking the DVD collection in the living room. She had yet to watch a movie, but reading the summaries, they all seemed a little too weird to her liking. Next to the DVDs, there were some odd big books. She took one out and, opening it, she saw its pages were laminated and there were barely words at all. The book was used for storing photographs.

They were all of a baby and of Regina with him. Right away, she realised she was looking at old pictures of her sister and Henry.

In awe, Zelena turned carefully the pages, reading the brief descriptions next to the photographs and staring at each one for quite a long time.

Without knowing why, her eyes filled with tears as she passed the pages and Henry’s face became more recognisable. It may have been because that photo album felt like something sacred, a treasure that contained a small portion of the souls of the people who had been immortalised there. It may have been because it felt more intimate than any time she had spied on Regina. And it may have been because, even if she had failed to realise before that they were a real family, she would have known by then.

After that, there were more albums, each one with more recent photos and dates. There were not many pictures of mother and son over the last two or three years and Zelena could not help wondering what had happened. Maybe it had been the time when Regina’s curse had been broken —those must have been pretty chaotic years. She was starting to understand how little she knew about some parts of her sister’s life.

The last album did have photos of Henry and his life in New York. She swallowed the lump in her throat, thinking of Regina looking at those pictures, knowing they were the only way to learn about her boy’s life during the missing year. Reflecting then on the way they had treated each other both in the Enchanted Forest and in Storybrooke, Zelena closed her eyes. It felt like an eternity had passed since then.

She kept looking through the pictures, going back to the first albums, where Henry’s and Regina’s smiles were awfully bright. All of a sudden, she was aware she had lost track of time. Her head snapped up and she saw on the clock it was five past five. Startled, she began to put it all back in a rush. Even if she had wanted to keep it as it had been, she did not remember the order in which each item was arranged. Attempting to regain some nonchalance, she got up from the floor she had been sitting on, looking around. She decided to switch on the television and went for a glass of water to the kitchen.

The adrenaline rush from hiding the fact that she had spent her afternoon snooping on the family photo albums had almost managed to make her forget her own emotions regarding the matter. It had not been completely successful, though, and once again, Zelena found herself unable to stop thinking about it. Those two made a real family and she felt like an intruder.

She was still in the kitchen when she heard the front door clicking open and familiar footsteps coming in. She came out and was immediately greeted by Henry.

“Hi! We’re having pizza tonight!”

Zelena looked at Regina for further clues about what kind of food pizza was.

“Henry thought we should celebrate my first day back to work,” she said with feigned exasperation —her fond smile completely ruined her pretence. “I think you’ll like it. There’s nothing alike in our world.”

The redhead nodded and, then, realising she had yet to say something, she cleared her throat.

“Should we start to set the table?”

“I’ll go pick up a movie,” offered Henry as he went to the living room.

“It’s tradition we eat pizza watching a movie,” Regina clarified, getting something wrapped in plastic out of the freezer. “Could you handle the table while I bake this?”

“Of course.”

The brunette still seemed a bit nervous every time Zelena handled a few knives, but she always refrained herself from saying anything. The ginger was torn between appreciating the latter and trying not to mind the former. After all, she knew that nervousness was well deserved. Why Regina would put herself through it when she could just as easily forbid the redhead from touching the knives was beyond her, though. At first, she had thought it was some sort of test to see what she would do. However, days passed and everything remained the same —she was not asked to do more or less as she could have expected if she were being tested. And so, she had had to quit her theory eventually. Still, she could simply not fathom Regina’s reasons. She wondered whether she would ever figure out how her little sister’s mind worked.

Once the table was set, the pizza —which smelled wonderfully, truth be told— on it and the movie chosen, Zelena felt at ease again. That she knew how it went, despite the novelties of the film and the food. Her calm would go away far too soon, though.

After having put down the pizza, Regina was the last one to take a seat. As she was doing so, something caught her eye. The ginger looked down, following her gaze, and what she saw made blood run cold in her veins.

“The photo albums aren’t in order,” the brunette commented, smirking.

It was the first time she feared Regina’s smirk. Zelena did not think she could stand any amount of teasing over that particular topic, no matter how much the mayor had a right to be upset or how harmless her intentions might be.

“I thought that was you, Mom,” Henry cut in, confused and oblivious. A moment later, he looked at his aunt and all seemed to fall in place for him upon seeing her taut face.

The former witch wished Regina would not keep talking, so that they could eat and watch the damn movie. However, her sister looked her in the eye and opened her mouth anyway despite Zelena’s wishes.

“Just try to keep the order next time, okay?” Her voice was a bit softer, but the smirk that had not disappeared completely was back in full force. “It’s not so difficult —you have the years written on them.” She had continued in a light-hearted tone and, all of a sudden, her expression did not feel threatening anymore.

The redhead found it very hard not to let out all her breath at once. She would have liked to keep it up with a sarcastic retort of her own, but she was still wrapping her head around the fact that Regina was neither upset for the invasion of her privacy nor taking advantage of the situation and teasing her for her own problems regarding relationships and family.

“Don’t you think Henry was the cutest baby?” The brunette kept on when she saw her sister still needed another moment to collect herself.

“Yes. Yes, he was.” She finally found her voice and forced herself to smile.

“Mom,” the boy whined. “Can we talk about my baby pictures later? I want to watch the movie and pizza’s getting cold.”

Both sisters shared another smile and, that time, Zelena’s was more relaxed.

“Of course, Henry. Sorry.”

Regina started to cut the pizza into slices and, that way, routine returned to the table.

* * *

The film had been an interesting experience, but Zelena still thought there were more entertaining inventions in that world and, therefore, she did not understand why Regina and Henry seemed so invested in it. Even so, the following night she supported the boy when he tried to convince his mother of watching another one.

“No, Henry. You went to bed late enough last night. It was a one-time thing. Movies are for the weekends, you know that.”

He pouted, but then complied with no further complaints and helped Zelena set the table. It amazed her a little how natural all their interactions were. It was true that Henry was a very well-behaved boy, but she could not say anything regarding Regina’s parenting —as much as that fact still bemused her.

Yet, Henry’s silence only lasted until they were all sitting at the table.

“And what about tomorrow?” he continued unexpectedly —at least, for the redhead; it seemed Regina had seen it coming. “Won’t we stay out until late then?”

“We will until a reasonable hour. It’s still a school day.”

Zelena looked up from her plate, confused.

“Is it some special day?”

Right away, the boy shot her a guilty glance.

“It’s Emma’s birthday,” Regina answered flatly. “We’re celebrating at Granny’s.”

“Oh, okay.”

That would mean the house would be empty for even longer. The redhead felt her stomach drop at the thought. She tried not to let any emotion show, though. It was hardly possible that the event could go any other way. Emma Swan was the saviour and Henry’s mother. It was natural that her birthday was a great affair.

Henry looked like he wanted to say something, but could not decide what. In the end, they kept eating mostly in silence, each focused on their own thoughts.

Surprisingly, Zelena slept well that night and woke up late in the morning. She went down to the kitchen, feeling rather happy despite the silence that would have felt oppressive at other time. And then, she saw the note on the counter and thought the worst. She picked it up more anxiously that she would ever admit and was shocked when she read it.

_I didn’t leave you any lunch, because I thought I’d go home and we could eat together this afternoon._

She stared at the note for another moment. She had not expected that at all. It was not like Regina was going away for a week. It was only a day and Zelena had been trying not to make a big deal of it, because it truly was not. Still, for that very reason, the gesture warmed her heart even more.

“You didn’t have to do this. I’m fine,” Zelena would say later, anyway, as her sister put down two paper bags from Granny’s.

In turn, Regina’s reply would be accompanied by a full smile.

“It’s something I wanted to do, sis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greenie is **the** Drama Queen. Please, leave a comment and tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Outlaw Queen feelings ahead and little Roland makes his first appearance. Hope you enjoy the cuteness overload!

Days passed and everyone was falling into the new routine. Regina still wished she could come up with a better solution, because even if the redhead tried to hide it, to act like she did not care, the truth was that she would not truly brighten up until the brunette came back home from work. She knew Zelena felt lonely, but she did not dare let her out of the house, not even to bring her to the town hall with her.

In addition, this loneliness would not always result in her sister setting the table and talking to Regina. Some days, her arrival would only be met with sulkiness and, a couple of times, Zelena insisted on remaining in her room, claiming she was not hungry yet. Those times, Regina brought a tray up to her room, like on the first days, just because she did not trust the ginger to get something for herself later on. What worried her most, though, was Zelena’s silence. It was not the angry silence at the beginning of her stay. It was reflexive and withdrawn and it made the brunette wish the other woman would talk to her, even if it were with the sole purpose of antagonising her.

Perhaps due to the fact that their week had been a little rocky, Regina carefully considered how she would handle the Halloween party that would take place the following day.

She knew bringing her sister along was out of question. It had been out of question on Emma’s birthday and so it was at present. As she drove home, she thought there was a chance Zelena would not even feel worse regarding Halloween than she did any other day. After all, her sister had never lived the festivity or been at any party as far as Regina knew. The mayor sighed, because that thought was not comforting at all. Besides, it did not really matter. She knew how much it still hurt being left out even if they had their reasons.

Some time ago, she may have passed on the event. Henry was staying with Emma for a few days —the two of them planning matching costumes. However, she really wanted to see her little prince playing dress-up again, like when he was a child and they would go to buy his costume together. Besides, it was also Roland’s first Halloween. The kid had been overexcited at the prospect of the party, asking questions to Henry non-stop. She wanted to go and so, she needed a way to break the news about the party without making Zelena feel like she did not matter.

She was glad when she arrived home and the redhead greeted her from the living room. It was going to be difficult enough without her sister being in a surly mood.

A while later, during dinner, the other woman addressed the topic without even being aware of it.

“When’s Henry coming back?”

Regina held back a smile, feeling herself melt at how her son wormed his way even into the darkest hearts.

“The night after Halloween. He and Emma have been busy with their costumes.” Zelena nodded, but said nothing else. “You remember what Halloween is, don’t you?”

“Yes, Regina,” she replied, grimacing a little. “A day when everyone finds it very exciting to dress up as supposedly scary fictional characters as they go door to door asking for sweets. And, honestly, you’d think it’s normal Henry’s excited, but you haven’t shut up about it, either.”

The brunette gaped at her openly and Zelena answered with a big smirk. However, it was all pretence. The snappy comeback had been made without malice. The redhead enjoyed throwing the mayor off balance, so Regina would pretend to be terribly annoyed at it. Yet, deep down, she loved their banters as well as seeing who got the upper hand each time.

Not forgetting what she had meant to say from the beginning, though, she made a show of glaring at the ginger sat across her and then sobered up rather quickly.

“There’s a party tomorrow,” she started to say, but her sister cut her off immediately, buffing and rolling her eyes. Her expression had darkened suddenly.

“It’s okay, Regina. You don’t need to handle me with kid gloves. I know I can’t go and that you will. Can we talk about something else?”

Zelena already looked upset and she was doing a half decent job of masking her hurt with irritation. The younger woman decided to let the matter drop, so as to avoid pushing anyone’s buttons further than necessary. It would only result in her sister closing herself off even more, anyway, which would do good to no one. Instead, she complied with her request and began to relate Henry’s first Halloween and how for years he could not choose just one character to dress up as. The smile Zelena would send her at one point or another did not reach her eyes, but at least it was there.

The following night, Regina arrived from the party even later than she had expected and found all the lights in the house off. When she ventured into the kitchen for a glass of water, she saw the dirty dishes from Zelena’s dinner still in the sink. The redhead usually tidied up the kitchen after using it, but it did not surprise Regina she had not that night. She was actually very tempted to clean it all with magic and forget it, but in many aspects dealing with the ginger’s tantrums was very similar to dealing with those of a child’s. So she left everything as she had found it and went to bed determined not to give it a second thought. She just hoped her sister would be in a better mood in the morning and did the washing-up without Regina having to tell her.

She climbed up the stairs, stopping before Zelena’s door. No light could be seen under it and everything was deadly silent. It was late and so, it was not strange for the other woman to be asleep already. Yet, the brunette went to bed feeling a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. She wished they could just talk openly. Wishes were hardly useful, though. Thus, she would find a solution once and for all.

* * *

Regina had made up her mind quite swiftly, but it was still the beginning of November, so she decided to put a hold in her plans and wait for a week or two to pass.

She did, however, talk about it to Robin. It was ridiculously easy to open up to him. It probably helped that she felt like drowning in his eyes when he listened to her closely, mixed with his unwavering understanding of her motives.

And so, a few days after Halloween, walking back to her house under the moonlight, the mayor explained to him what she had in mind. He looked so dubious that he asked outright if she was sure about it and, for once, she did not scoff or hesitate at that particular question.

“Halloween can’t happen again. If she thinks in the end she’s really alone, that me giving her a second chance isn’t something true in every aspect, then it won’t work. She’ll revert to bitterness or withdraw into the furthest, darkest corner of her mind.”

The thief sighed, finding no arguments to prove her wrong. Regina squeezed his hand and smiled at him, hoping to convince him completely.

“Zelena’s changing, Robin. It’s not definitive yet, but I know the change is there. I can see it.”

“I know she’s calmer, love.” He had seen the former witch a handful of times and she had been politer —or, perhaps, just quieter— around him. “But is she really ready for that?”

“She will,” stated Regina confidently. Then, after a moment’s thought, her face brightened up with another idea. “Why don’t the five of us have dinner together tomorrow? Henry’s spending Sunday night at home.”

For a second, the brunette thought he was going to refuse to bring along Roland, since the little Merry Man had yet to interact with her sister. However, Robin let out another sigh and ended up nodding.

“All right,” he said, kissing the knuckles of the hand he was holding in a way that made Regina’s heart flutter. Her smile grew brighter and she bumped softly into him. They kept clinging to each other until they reached her house.

She told Zelena about the dinner the following morning, while the two of them were finishing breakfast.

“Robin’s coming for dinner tonight,” she announced with an easy smile and the redhead looked up. “He’s bringing his son Roland.”

At that, blue eyes went comically wide open.

“But... But he knows that... that I’ll—”

“Of course he knows you’ll be there, Zelena,” Regina cut off her stammering, rolling her eyes briefly. “This isn’t a test, just a family dinner. But I thought you’d rather know.”

“Yes, how considerate of you. You’re always thinking of everything,” the other woman spat, suddenly angry.

At once, the brunette realised she may have been too harsh. She had no idea of how to fix it, though. ‘Sorry’ simply did not come out of her mouth. So she kept talking as if she had not noticed the bitterness in Zelena’s voice.

“I’ll go to pick up Henry from Snow’s just on time for dinner. He had plans with David.” Her sister offered no answer and she tried again. “So we have the TV for ourselves all day. Is there something that has caught your interest?”

The redhead glared at her, clearly seeing right through her charade. However, her displeasure deflated shortly after. She shook her head softly and seemed to force herself to look away.

“No, I’d rather go to my room now,” she said as she got up. She sounded truly worn out. “I’ll see you later.”

Regina remained frozen on her seat for several seconds after Zelena had got out. She had not meant to offend her sister or to sound so harsh. It was just that she was tired of walking on eggshells and her patience ran thin most of the time. But she had not meant to ruin her Sunday with the redhead. She gulped and her throat felt uncomfortably tight.

* * *

Fortunately, Zelena was totally composed again by lunch. She actually felt ridiculous. She was sick of Regina treating her like a bomb that could go off at any time, but it was not going to stop if she ran away the moment the brunette blurted something out without a second thought.

Just to soothe her —and no, the redhead had not the faintest clue where that came from—, she stayed after lunch in the living room. They usually filled up the quiet talking —mostly about Henry or modern technology. However, that time, their afternoon was spent in a comfortable silence, so that both of them could enjoy the simple peace that their mutual company brought.

* * *

Zelena could not remember having many peaceful moments in her life —moments when her inner turmoil was stilled and she was happy being where she was. It seemed Regina had not experienced a lot of them, either, based on how she, too, had drunk in the quiet surrounding them. Not that, nowadays, Zelena did not have silence and time to reflect quite often. It was certainly a strange feeling. It was not bad, but she could not decide whether it was good. She just did not know what to do with all that time to think.

Like right now. There may have been silence, but it was not turning out to be restful at all. Her sister had gone to take a shower before going out to pick up Henry. Zelena was in the living room, completely ignoring the programme on television. She was too focused on her own anxiety, even though she had no real motives to fear that dinner could ruin anything. Since she had decided to behave civilly and stop expecting what clearly was not going to come, she had had no confrontations with the thief. It did not have to be different because his son was there as well that night. Nevertheless, if she had less time to think, pushing aside those thoughts would be easier.

Later on, her anxiety reared its ugly head again when she heard someone knocking on the front door. She stopped in the middle of getting dressed. Her sister was still out picking up Henry, but they would not knock on the door.

“Damn,” she muttered when she got a grasp of the situation. The brunette had said she would be back by the time her boyfriend and his son arrived. Zelena was starting to think that she currently harboured more motives to be upset with Regina than she did when she was trying to get revenge on her.

She descended the steps as more knocking ensued, knowing she could not just wait until her sister came back to let them enter. Even so, she could not help fidgeting with her hands nervously before opening the door.

There they were. Robin with his little son attached at his hip. The arms that surrounded the child tensed a bit when he saw the redhead, but the uneasiness did not reflect on his face.

“Regina’s not here yet,” she said quickly, hoping against hope that it would send them away until the others came back.

Robin frowned, pensive for a moment, and then he gestured with his head towards the inside of the house.

“Can we come in and wait inside?”

Zelena should have known that was going to be his answer. She was powerless, it was cold and he had a kid with him.

“Of— Of course,” she replied, still wondering how that was happening to her. She stepped back and closed the door after them.

An awkward silence followed when neither of the adults knew what to say or where to go. It was Roland who unexpectedly broke it.

“Who’s the lady, papa?” he asked in what no doubt was a whisper in his childish mind.

He repositioned his son on his hip and took a step towards the woman.

“Roland, this is Zelena. Remember that I told you about her earlier? That she’s going to have dinner with us because now she lives here, too.”

The redhead took a small step towards them as well.

“Hello, Roland,” she greeted, forcing the corners of her mouth to lift despite her nervousness.

The boy smiled back, making his adorable dimples deepen.

“It’s a pleasure, milady.” He stumbled a little over the word ‘pleasure,’ but that only made it cuter.

It left her gaping too easily to her liking and, once again, she questioned the wisdom of it all. Instinctively, she looked at his father as she tried to compose herself. It did not help to her confusion that his gaze had softened considerably, though.

“He gets his manners from the Prince of Thieves, after all,” he finally said, cockily, although his smirk got somewhat stuck on the way.

While this brief interaction between the grown-ups took place, Roland had leant forward and reached out for one of Zelena’s curls. When his little fingers closed around it, she was aware of what was happening and remained as still as it was humanly possible. She could have sworn she had stopped breathing, too.

“I like your hair,” he finally declared, twirling it between his fingers. “It’s very pretty.”

For several seconds, she could not reply, so she just stared at the child in amazement. Finally, she gave him a shaky laugh and smiled a little, hoping the words would not get stuck in her throat.

“Thank you, Roland,” she managed to say softly.

“I should put the wine in the fridge, shouldn’t I?” cut in Robin, showing then the bottle she had not seen before.

“I— I guess so,” she answered, still having her head somewhere else.

It was while they were in the kitchen that Regina and Henry arrived. At once, Roland ran to greet them excitedly. He appeared in the kitchen again seconds later, holding the former Queen’s hand.

“I see you’ve met my sister,” she said, smiling down at the young child.

Something in the way she said the last word warmed Zelena’s heart. It felt honest.

“Are you really sisters, Regina?” asked Roland, suddenly serious. The redhead could see Henry smile behind them at the cuteness of such an expression on his little round face. “You don’t look alike.”

Regina looked up at her as if she needed to make sure they were actually very different physically. Zelena tore her gaze away, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention. It was the other woman who had been asked, so it was on her to deal with their messy situation. Yet, the brunette did not seem bothered by it. She looked down once more at the kid, who was still waiting for a satisfactory answer.

“Not all siblings look alike, Roland. Sometimes, you meet people you’d never think are related —until you know them and find they’re only alike on the inside. But yes, I assure you Zelena is my sister.”

And damn, she was going really soft if that last line alone could make her throat feel tight with emotion. She wanted to turn around at least to compose herself, but the chat was not over yet.

“And why didn’t she live here before?” Roland asked again, pouting as he attempted to understand what for him probably made no sense.

“We haven’t met until recently,” Regina simplified. Her voice was turning heavier with each word, but Zelena doubted the child would notice.

“Oh,” he said, and his pout became more distressed. “That’s sad.”

The mayor smiled at him gently.

“A little,” she conceded. “But it doesn’t matter, because we’re together now.”

At that moment, Henry intervened graciously and took Roland away to show him something while the adults got everything ready for dinner.

Zelena could feel Regina’s eyes fixed on her. She was sure the brunette wanted to tell her something, maybe ask how she was, but they were not alone in the kitchen and the redhead could not afford showing any more weakness. So she started to get what they needed from the cupboards, not once looking at her sister and, eventually, the couple mimicked her. They worked mostly in silence as their inner emotional turmoils quieted little by little.

Dinner was surprisingly well. It was clear Roland adored Henry and would not stop asking questions about everything. The child was still fascinated by the Halloween festivity and Henry told his own version of the stories Zelena had already heard from Regina’s mouth several nights ago.

As the focus of the conversation shifted away from the children, Regina and Robin started talking about town affairs, shocking the ginger when she was repeatedly engaged in conversation. Not only by Regina and Henry, but also by Robin and Roland. Shortly after, they were actively discussing how they were adapting to the new realm and the pros and cons of it. She was not used to talking much when there were more people other than her sister and her nephew, but she could not say it was a bad change. Sitting back and listening still felt more comfortable as well as easier. Yet, it was really nice to be asked, to be included with no ulterior motive.

The conversation was kept light until the end of the meal. Once they had finished polishing off their desserts, though, the calm atmosphere was at risk for the first time that night.

“Henry!” Roland blurted out all of a sudden, excitedly. “You said you’ve got games to play on TV. Will you show me?”

The older boy was about to reply affirmatively when Robin cut in.

“It’s late, son. We can’t stay to play.”

Roland, who so far had been excellently well-behaved, began to protest and tears welled up in his brown eyes. Zelena had no reason to think Robin was lying —it was late for such a small child and tomorrow was a school day. Still, she could not help it when a thought invaded her mind. What if it was because of her? She had thought they had had a pleasant evening, but perhaps she was wrong and the former outlaw wanted to get his son out of there as soon as possible.

“Hey, Roland. You can come back at any time. C’mon, don’t cry.”

The little one calmed a little upon hearing Henry’s words and looked up at his father with wet, big eyes.

“Can we, Papa?”

The red-haired woman stared down at her plate. She did not want to see the exchange. She tried to busy herself with her dessert, but she could eat, either. She knew how important Robin and Roland were in Regina’s life. How happy she was when her three boys were close. If her boyfriend could not tolerate his son near her... On his answer depended things Zelena did not want to put names to.

“Of course we can.”

He had not answered immediately, but his reply sounded confident enough for the knot in her stomach to loosen, allowing her to breathe once again. She peeked up, quickly checking everyone was too focused on father and son to have realised her sudden tension.

Fortunately, dinner ended up as smoothly as it had begun. Robin insisted on washing the dishes and Regina and he started bickering in the kitchen at once. Zelena made herself scarce to give them some privacy.

She went to her room and got ready for bed. However, in the safe solitude of her room, she realised she was not as tired as she had felt just moments ago. Without even bothering to get under the covers, she grabbed the book that rested on her bedside table and kept on reading.

* * *

Regina knocked on her door some time after the house had fallen deadly silent. Zelena had already heard Henry’s door click shut, so she guessed her sister was going to bed when she had seen light under the redhead’s door and decided to say ‘goodnight.’ She did so almost every bloody night. It was probably a habit she had got from living with Henry and Zelena was trying really hard to get used to it as well.

“Come in,” she answered, careful not to raise her voice too much in case the teenager was already asleep.

However, her sister did not just poke in her head, say ‘goodnight’ and go away. She actually entered the bedroom, closing the door behind her and sitting on the bed next to her.

“What’s the matter?” the redhead asked, growing a little worried.

Regina gave her a small smile, so that she knew there was nothing wrong.

“I just wanted to know how you are feeling. You seemed a bit off at the end of it.”

Her lips parted slightly. So the brunette had noticed after all. She had nearly succeeded in forgetting how ridiculous her fears had made her look once again.

“I’m fine, really,” she replied when her brain refused to offer her a better excuse. “I was just a bit tired.”

She had no hope of Regina believing the lie, but perhaps she would let the topic drop.

“Was it too much?” her sister asked, the faintest hint of worry in her voice. “I thought you were enjoying yourself, but—”

“No, no. It was truly nice,” Zelena hurried to explain.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

The mayor did not talk for a brief moment. She seemed unconvinced, though —and deep in thought, as if she were looking for the right words.

“So, would you like to do it again another time?”

The ginger was too stunned by the question to talk. She did not know if she truly had any say in the matter, but the fact that Regina was asking for her opinion was overwhelming enough. She looked down at her lap, where her book had been left forgotten. She picked it up and marked the page she was reading before closing it. She still toyed with it for several seconds to gain some more time.

“Yes, sure,” she muttered quietly, because she did not trust her voice not to show more than she wanted to.

“Zelena.” The way Regina said her name forced her to look up. “If you weren’t comfortable—”

“I was,” she cut her off again. “We can do it again.” She was telling the truth, but there was still a hint of hesitance in her words.

“So you felt comfortable, didn’t you?” At her nod, Regina kept on, frowning deeply. “If everything’s okay, then why are you avoiding looking me in the eye?”

The former witch shrugged at her gravity and, once more, tore her gaze away from the brunette, looking around the bedroom.

“I... I didn’t expect you’d ask me,” she answered at last, falsely nonchalant. Predictably, her sister saw right through it.

Regina hesitated whether to reach out or not. She finally settled one of her hands on the bedspread, near her crossed legs, but not quite touching her. Leaving the choice up to Zelena. The only problem was that the redhead did not know if she wanted to reach out. And so, she did not move. She fixed her blue eyes on the window, even though the curtains were drawn.

“Sis, if you ever get too uncomfortable when we’re having an occasion like this, you tell me, okay? These dinners aren’t a punishment.”

Zelena did not know why she would feel uncomfortable later on if she had not that night, but the thought of someone caring to such extent was enough. She nodded, feeling her throat too tight to say anything. Regina forced a smile of her own and, after a few seconds, got up.

“Goodnight,” the brunette finally said before getting out.

“Goodnight,” she replied in a whisper as the door closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [New vignette!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465270/chapters/48692759) What was crossing Zelena's head the night of the Halloween party? Read and find out!  
As always, thanks for your support, it truly makes my day to know people like my writing.
> 
> Oops, I forgot this missing scene: [Green Traces](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465270/chapters/49257311). It's set at the end of October/beginning of November, before Robin and Roland's visit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I'm currently job hunting and stress isn't a great source of motivation to sit down and edit stories. I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway and, as always, I look forward to knowing what you think.

Regina decided to drop the bomb after a town meeting. Snow was not usually on those, but it had concerned the school and she had come, so it was the perfect chance to talk with her, her husband and her daughter without interruptions.

“Is something wrong, Regina?” the other brunette asked her as the four of them went to her office.

“No, I just wanted to talk to you about Thanksgiving,” she replied, curtly.

“Wow. Didn’t know you feel the festive spirit so much, Regina,” Emma mocked and she could hear Charming snickering at his daughter’s joke.

She turned around to throw them a glare, but did not bother saying anything back. Once they were alone in her office, she let herself speak freely.

“I’ve been thinking about where we’re going to celebrate Thanksgiving,” she told them.

She could see Snow’s expression soften. It was obvious the younger woman was touched by her assumption that they were going to celebrate the holiday together. Emma was far more suspicious, though.

“What’s the hurry? There are still a couple of weeks left till then. Coming from you it’s just weird,” the blonde stated bluntly.

Regina was starting to think she should just have talked to Snow and left the rest of the family to her. But no, of course she felt it was on her to tackle the subject with the three of them.

“You’ll need those two weeks to get over the fact we’re celebrating Thanksgiving at my place,” she blurted out, clearly irritated. Well, to hell with all her carefully rehearsed arguments. She gave the Charmings no time to process what her house really meant. “Look, we already get too crowded when it’s just us. Your apartment is out of question.”

“And why not Granny’s?” suggested David.

Regina was truly tempted to let out a whiny ‘ugh.’

“We can’t celebrate Thanksgiving at Granny’s,” she affirmed, as if the mere idea was not worth a second thought. Before the former prince could ask why not, Snow cut in.

“Is it because of the size of your mansion or because you want Zelena there?” she asked calmly.

The mayor opened her mouth to answer confidently, but the words did not get out. She sighed and crossed her arms, her eyes wandering around the office.

“She’s my sister. She’s trying.”

She could have said many other things that would hold up in an actual argument. She had them ready on the tip of her tongue. Yet, in the end, that couple of simple sentences was the real reason that had led to their current conversation.

She turned to the three individuals who were now a part of her family as well. They did not look convinced, but they had not refused right away, either.

“We haven’t forgiven her, you know,” Emma finally said. Her voice was soft, not confrontational. She was only stating a fact and the former Queen forced herself to swallow down any smart retorts.

“I know,” she replied. “I’m not asking you to. I’m just asking you to come and sit through one dinner at the same table as her.”

Emma gave a curt nod. It was reluctant, but Regina would take what she could get.

“Does Robin know about this?” asked Snow, her voice filled up with curiosity.

The mayor nodded.

“He didn’t jump at the idea, but he brought Roland with him for dinner some days ago and he’s agreed.”

“And Henry?” asked the sheriff.

“I figured out I needed to get your approval more than his. He doesn’t actually mind spending time with Zelena.”

Surprise showed up on their faces at that piece of information.

“So, are you going to tell him tonight?” Emma did not sound upset, but Regina would rather not take risks, since the situation was going better than she had dared expect.

“That is, if you don’t mind. We can tell him together if you prefer,” she said warily.

The blonde shook her head and that, too, was settled.

“It’s fine.”

There was a brief silence while everybody processed what had just happened.

“Well, then we’ll discuss dinner details as the date gets closer,” stated Snow, a little more confident now about what they were doing.

Regina only smiled, hoping they could see on her face how thankful she truly felt.

* * *

That very night, the brunette learnt she should not give unsettling news to her sister long beforehand if she wished to stop the redhead from driving her crazy until the day finally arrived.

They were having dinner in an unusual silence and Regina decided to break it to tell what she had been up to that morning.

“I’ve been talking with Emma, Snow and David about Thanksgiving.”

“What’s that?” asked Zelena predictably, stopping the fork midway to her mouth.

And also predictably, it was Henry who hurried to reply.

“It’s a dinner where family meets and gives thanks for all the good things that have happened to them. Also, there’s a lot of really delicious food,” he said eagerly, no doubt looking forward to the holiday.

“Oh.” Zelena smiled, too. Her smile had a sad edge, though, and Regina thought she knew why. “And when is it?”

“The last Thursday of November,” the boy answered. Then, thoughtfully, he continued, “That means... about two weeks from now.”

“I see.”

However, Regina saw her sister was not really getting anything —yet. She reckoned that, if she had broken the news to the others earlier without much gentleness, she might as well use the same bluntness at present.

“And we’re celebrating it here, at home,” added the brunette.

She waited to see what kind of reaction her words provoked, but all her attention became suddenly focused on the huge grin Henry broke into.

“Really? All of us?”

“Of course.” Regina could not help returning his gesture with another full smile.

A second later, she remembered why, at the beginning, she had considered walking on eggshells around the subject at all. She turned her gaze towards her sister, who was looking down at her plate, silently chewing.

“Zelena?” Intense blue eyes looked up and Regina could not decide whether they were clouded by sadness or anger. “Don’t get any ideas. All of us are _all_ of us.”

The redhead said nothing, slightly squirming on her chair, probably itching to get up and trying to restrain herself for Henry’s sake.

“Is this some sort of test, after all?” she finally asked. Her voice was controlled and, at the same time, oddly high-pitched.

“It’s not.” The snap slipped off Regina’s tongue without her meaning to. Forcing herself to calm down, she added, “It’s a family dinner. And we can talk about it later.”

“I’ll go get dessert,” Henry suddenly cut in, hurrying to the kitchen.

The sisters sent glares to each other, but they had no real heat —Regina’s was half-hearted and Zelena’s hid plain fear.

They finished eating in silence, because even the teenage boy considered it was better not to keep pushing the matter. The tension between the women actually sent him up to his room as soon as dinner was over. His aunt looked like she was going to follow his example, but Regina stopped her.

“Help me with the dishes while we talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” the redhead retorted. Even so, she started to carry flatware back to the kitchen.

“Do the heroes know I’ll be there?” she asked derisively as Regina put away the leftovers. The brunette realised she had not missed the mask of detached contempt that was currently directed at her and it took all her strength not to snap at the ginger.

“Of course. And since with ‘heroes’ I guess you’re only referring to the Charmings, I’ll let you know Robin knows and agrees as well.”

Regina finally turned around and saw that her sister’s grip on the plates had tightened. She preferred not to take any risks and took them from Zelena before her kitchen floor could end up covered in glass. She put them in the sink, her back facing the other woman once again. Regina thought she would take the opportunity and get out, but in fact, Zelena kept talking.

“Why here, Regina?”

Upon hearing unhidden vulnerability in her voice, the brunette turned towards her at once, slightly leaning back against the counter as she crossed her arms.

“And why not?” She knew she was stalling, but she was afraid Zelena would take her wish of having her there as a sign of pity. “It was the best place to have all the family gathering. We’re a quite a few, you know,” she finally answered, smiling somewhat hesitantly.

Zelena buffed and fixed her gaze on some undefined spot of the kitchen.

“It’s a bad idea,” she muttered, intertwining her hands.

She sounded resigned, so Regina came closer and put a hand on her arm to make her look at her.

“It’s not,” she said, trying to make her voice soft and reassuring. “Besides, do you ever think any idea of mine is good?”

That time, she did manage to bring a smile to both of their faces.

* * *

“What if I don’t want to do it?”

It was the night before Thanksgiving and the Mills sisters were eating without Henry. For the past few days, Zelena had been pestering her with questions about the dinner and sneering at the idea in equal measure. But this was the first time she stated clearly she may not wish to be there.

“Would you really rather eat alone upstairs?”

Zelena, who had had her eyes fixed on Regina as she waited for an answer, looked away then. The brunette knew her sister did not prefer to be excluded in what she was —hopefully— beginning to feel like her own home, but she was also aware that dinner could not be the most appealing idea to her, either.

“Besides Henry and I, Robin and Roland will be there, too,” she kept on when the redhead offered no reply, hoping to be able to give her some sort of comfort. “And Tinker Bell as well.”

Zelena looked down at her plate, picking some salad with her fork before answering.

“And so will the Charming couple, won’t they?” The bitterness in her voice showed it was not a question. “And Emma and the baby.”

Regina pressed her lips together, willing herself not to respond to her sister’s tone.

“And the pirate. Emma’s invited him.”

Zelena snorted, scornful, but she had become a bit paler. She put down the cutlery with unnecessary force and got up.

“I don’t... I can’t...” Her voice was shaking and did not let her finish any sentence —if she even knew what she wanted to say.

Regina could admit Zelena’s insecurities and inquiries the past two weeks had certainly become annoying. Yet, it did not change the fact that she hated seeing fear on her sister’s face. It reminded the former Queen of what she used to see in the mirror when she was so desperate trying to prove herself to everyone.

The brunette bit back a sigh and got up, too. She approached the nervous redhead, but did not reach out. She was always worried about overstepping boundaries, when most of the time she did not even know where they lay. She stood close until Zelena looked at her.

“We want you there, sis,” was all she said. She could not force her to do anything, but she would fight tooth and nail to show the ginger she was not alone on her path before backing down.

Blue eyes pierced into hers for a long moment, but her sister finally let out a small sigh and ran a hand across her red curls.

“Can we just skip dinner and watch something on TV?”

It was not the kind of answer Regina was expecting, but it elicited a smile from her all the same.

“I have a better idea. Why don’t we go right for dessert and eat it while watching some silly comedy?”

Zelena needed no time to agree. Although she looked a little embarrassed, she made an effort not to withdraw. When they sat on the couch, the ginger did not settle at one end as always. She actually sat so close to her sister they were almost touching. And Regina hoped it would come the day when she could lay her head on Zelena’s shoulder without worrying about boundaries.

* * *

The indicated night had come. Zelena stood in front of her wardrobe and, honestly, all she wanted to do was kick something and burst into tears out of pure anxiety. She did not want to go through an eternal dinner with people who despised her. And she did not want to act civilly towards them for Regina’s and Henry’s sake. And...

She really just wanted to send it all to bloody hell, lie down on her bed and cry to act as miserably as she felt.

Knowing it was not an option, though, she took a deep breath. When it did not work, she took another couple of them, until she felt her eyes dry and the lump in her throat let her breathe once again.

She thought maybe she would feel better —more confident, less weak— if she wore one of her old outfits. She took a black skirt she was rather partial to, but she hesitated over picking a blouse. Was it truly a good idea to go down there as the Wicked Witch? It would not stir the best memories among the guests and she had got no magic. Not only did she feel vulnerable, she was. She fidgeted with her hands as she continued to hesitate. And then, there was a knock on her door and she could not help feeling relief upon hearing Regina’s voice.

“Come in, sis,” she said, careful to keep a neutral voice.

The brunette entered, wearing a purple dress and with her make-up and her hair already done.

“Are you ready? We need to set the table before everyone arrives.”

“Not yet. I...” She had to ask. Regina would not always guess what she was thinking. She wet her lips. “I can’t seem to decide what blouse to put on.”

Regina lifted her eyebrows slightly, but said nothing as she came closer to take a peek inside the wardrobe. She saw the ginger was in front of a collection of intricate dark tops and looked back to see the black skirt that had been chosen resting on the bed. She started to look through the rest of her clothes without a second look at the dark green and black items.

“What about this?” she said finally, taking out a clear blue shirt, one of those Regina had bought for her. “It matches your eyes perfectly.”

“Yes, I suppose this could work.” Despite her collected voice, a small smile had appeared on her face at the compliment. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” the brunette replied honestly. Then, she kept on with a lighter tone. “Now, get dressed and go down to help me get everything ready, sis.”

An amused smirk was sent in her direction before Regina exited the bedroom. Zelena grumbled something, but her heart was not in it.

* * *

They were still setting the table when they heard the door being opened. Henry announced his presence from the hall and Zelena could also hear Snow and David calling out. Regina went out to receive them, whereas she finished putting down cloth napkins for everyone. She had managed to calm herself a little for the past few minutes, but now she was getting extremely nervous again.

She breathed in and out slowly several times, closing her eyes to make it easier. After a moment, she opened them and looked at the table to check nothing was amiss. Footsteps came closer and, in a moment, Mills and Charmings were entering the living room.

Zelena did not greet them —she did not even know whether she should smile. So, she waited for one of them to make the first move. It was Snow.

“Wow, Regina, you’ve set a rather nice table here.”

“Thank you, dear,” the mayor replied, glancing at Zelena to check everything was all right. “Everyone should be here soon. Maybe it’s a good idea to take out the turkey as well.”

Why was Regina willing to go through such discomfort? Not that Zelena knew much about the holiday, but she knew her sister could have saved herself all that trouble. And yet, she did know why. ‘We want you here,’ she had been told. And even though everything in her screamed not to, she could not help believing it.

To be honest, her present situation had a dreadful parallelism with that time Glinda had invited her to meet the Oz sisterhood. Despite their honesty and good intentions, she had felt horribly out of place, irrelevant. So far, however, Regina had given her no motives to make her think she would ignore Zelena so easily.

“Where’s the baby?” her sister was asking as she and Snow came back to the living room a few moments later with dishes full of food.

“Emma will bring him. She’s started to really get along with her brother.”

Regina smiled at the other brunette. It was an easy, warm exchange that had the redhead clenching her jaw.

“I’m glad,” she replied sincerely.

Snow seemed more at ease than her husband. David was visibly tense, putting not only the table between him and Zelena, but also as much distance as it was possible. Henry looked hesitant, next to the table but not daring move closer to his grandfather or his aunt. When Regina came up to him, the boy relaxed immediately.

The door clicked open again and the Locksley let themselves in. The redhead was the first one the little boy spotted and so, she was the recipient of his excited greeting.

“Zelena!” he said, smiling up at her. She tried to smile back, but it was more of a grimace. She was hugely relieved when Roland saw Henry and his focus changed at once.

“Hi there, little man,” Henry said warmly, hugging him back when the child threw his arms at him.

That scene served to make everyone forget for a minute the current tension of the meeting. Before the feeling could fade away, someone knocked on the front door and the last guests came in: Emma with his brother in her arms, followed by Hook and Tinker Bell.

“Well, let’s sit down,” Regina stated, before silence could become uncomfortable.

“Yes, let’s just bloody get this over with once and for all,” the pirate replied, earning several glares and a light smack on his chest from Emma. He lifted his arms, but did not apologise.

There was a physical distance between Zelena and the rest of them that Regina broke when she stepped closer and took a seat at the head of the table, indicating her sister the seat at her right. That put everyone into motion. Tink sat next to the redhead, while Robin was in front of her, at Regina’s left. Roland insisted on sitting next to Henry —the little one had taken quite a shine to Regina’s son.

The others also took their seats, never letting themselves go completely. The start of the meal reflected it. Everyone began to eat in silence, until Henry asked Emma if she had already read a certain comic. Soon, they were engaged in an intense debate about some storyline, with Roland listening to them closely.

“Please, don’t compare Wolverine to those,” intervened Regina unexpectedly, rolling her eyes.

Emma looked at her as if she had grown two heads. Although Henry did seem ready to reply at once, someone else cut in all of a sudden.

“I don’t know, Regina. Some Avengers comics aren’t that good, but others...”

It was Regina’s turn to be open-mouthed at David’s intervention.

“Since when do you read Marvel comics?”

“Since I, too, have a daughter who’s introduced me to the universe,” the former prince answered grinning. Zelena noticed the pride in his voice was painfully obvious.

Regina buffed, but she was not entirely successful in hiding a small, satisfied smile.

Later on, the former witch would feel stupid for having hoped dinner would run smoothly all night and be over before she could really think of it. For some more time, it was so. Innocent talks began at one side and another of the table and, after some failed attempts where Zelena answered with monosyllables o directly without words, Regina stopped trying to engage her in conversation. Tinker Bell was more successful, but it did not last long, either. The fairy began to complain about how the brunette would grumble about everything she did as her secretary. Although she was not very talkative, Zelena did not mind the interaction. However, she stopped paying attention when Regina cut in —“Well, dear, you should really have mastered the art of making coffee by now”— and they focused on bantering with each other.

The redhead would rather spend the meal in silence, cause no troubles and finish as soon as possible. Alas, not everyone was so willing to keep their mouth shut.

“Oh, I think he’s getting sleepy,” Snow was saying, looking at her son in the high chair by her side. “Luckily, Ne... er, he usually goes to sleep without a fuss,” she finished awkwardly after having corrected herself midway through saying the baby’s name.

A silence followed her words, suddenly broken by David’s angry voice.

“You can say Neal’s name, Snow. It’s not us who should be walking on eggshells here,” he snapped, looking Zelena in the eye.

The redhead was paralysed. Should she retort back? She did not want to lower her head and submit, but the truth was that a part of her was truly _ashamed_. She tightened her jaw, steeling herself to answer with a scathing comeback. However, before she could open her mouth, Regina cut in.

“Of course you can say Neal’s name. But you’ll also do well to remember everybody here has made mistakes.” Regina’s voice was final and admitted no reply, so David gritted his teeth and said nothing else.

Zelena busied herself with her food, neither looking forward to looking at Regina nor at the former prince —nor at anyone else at the table, truth be told. She should never have accepted to be in the same room as those people. It could not end well.

Although in fact, it did not end badly either.

The tense silence that had followed seemed like it would go on forever, but eventually it broke, even if those conversations were somewhat more forced than at the beginning of dinner. Maybe Henry noticed it, or perhaps he had had his little speech prepared beforehand. In any case, when they were finishing their desserts, the boy cleared her throat, getting everyone’s eyes fixed on him.

“When it was only Mom and me,” he began, looking at Regina and smiling brightly, “we used to share something we were grateful for, often recalling some happy memory of that year. Now, I know we’re far too many to do so, but I wanted to say ‘thank you’ for it. I’m grateful for having such a big family and for being able to spend this holiday with all of you.”

He looked around as he finished, a radiant smile on his face. All his family smiled back at him, some with proud smiles and others with barely a tug of their lips, but honest all the same. Even Zelena could not help a tiny smile when the boy’s hazel eyes fixed on her. She still found it a little difficult to believe that someone like Henry, so pure, so innocent, so _truly good_, could exist. But there he was. And he had included her in his family. He had offered, without knowing it, proof that Regina’s words were true. They really wanted her there.

She would never admit it to her sister, but the brunette had been right. Her idea had not been such a disaster after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm, seems like I forgot to post one (long) vignette. The link is at the end of Chapter Two. I'm sorry, guys —although given the amount of extra material I have for this series and how everything is, at least, a couple of years old, I honestly thought this would happen sooner.  
Anyway, this is one of my fav chapters of the series. Here comes Auntie Zelena! Hope you enjoy it as well.

Zelena was comfortably lying on the couch, reading. She was enjoying the quiet afternoon and the idea of getting up and going to the kitchen to get lunch was not appealing at all. Willing to indulge in her laziness, she let time pass. It was Saturday, but she was not expecting company to eat —Regina had a lunch date with Robin and the real question was whether she would remember to come back in time to make dinner.

This was the reason why she jumped a little when she heard the front door being opened. She looked up at the clock, which read one o’clock, and lifted her eyebrows.

“I wasn’t expecting you so soon,” she called out. “Already trouble in parad—?” She had started the question cockily, but stopped herself as soon as she peeked over the back of the sofa and saw that the one standing in the hall was not Regina, but her son. And he had closed the door behind him, so his mother did not accompany him. “Henry, you shouldn’t be here,” she said, serious and pale all of a sudden.

The redhead got off the couch, but did not step forward. Her increasing anxiety contrasted with the boy’s ease. He shrugged off and entered the living room.

“I was supposed to have lunch with a friend, but he’s sick. And I had to come here later, so I didn’t feel like going to the apartment.”

“Regina’s not here,” she said, faintly. It was improbable he did not know it, but maybe he had forgotten. To her dismay, it was not the case.

“I know.”

“If... If you want to stay, we should call her,” she tried, because throwing him out of his own home did not seem like a good idea all of a sudden.

He shook his head, though.

“No, I don’t want to interrupt her date. Mom and Robin don’t usually have a few hours for themselves and I know Robin’s prepared a surprise picnic for her.”

Zelena gulped. She had no idea what else to do.

“Let them enjoy. Besides, why couldn’t I be here with you?” He seemed to be trying to reassure her, but it was not working. At his aunt’s silence, he kept on. “So... Have you had lunch yet?”

“No,” she answered, half bewildered half startled.

At this, Henry’s face brightened right away.

“Great! Because I’m starving. Shall we?”

However, the red-haired woman made no move to abandon her spot in front of the couch.

“Your mother left potato salad in the fridge,” she said and, although her voice sounded more normal that time, she still had the sensation that it was not her talking. “You can go and help yourself. I’m not hungry.”

“Ew.” His reaction was immediate. He scrunched up his nose as he added, “I hate that.”

Did he not see they should not even be talking? Regina had been unyielding on that regard. With a start, Zelena realised that she wished for her sister’s immediate arrival more than she feared it. She was trying to come up with another excuse when Henry threw a look in her direction that she had only ever seen directed at the boy’s mother.

“Couldn’t you cook something else?” he asked, making puppy dog eyes that the redhead knew at once she would be powerless to resist.

“Me?”

The stupid question came out against her will and she could see a real struggle on Henry’s face to either keep the puppy eyes or roll them. The former won and, together with a smile, it made her go to the kitchen against her best judgement.

Once they were there, she realised she needed something to busy herself with, so it was probably a good thing she would be cooking. At least that way her hands would stop fidgeting and making her anxiety obvious.

She was resigned to her fate. She would face Regina’s wrath later. For now, she needed to know what she should make. It had been a long time since the last occasion she had cooked for someone else, but she still remembered the question she used to ask her father.

“What would you like to eat?”

She turned to Henry, her hands firmly clasped together in front of her. However, despite his earlier hunger, he did not seem to have anything in mind, for he shrugged carelessly.

“I don’t know. What can you make?”

“A few things.”

It seemed he had assumed she could cook either because she was an adult or because she usually helped Regina with meals. Maybe he did not have the faintest clue about what he could ask of her.

“What’s your favourite?” he asked out of the blue after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. At once, all thoughts vanished from Zelena’s mind.

She had asked many times what she should make, but she had never been asked what she would like, least of all what her favourite meal was. She got it, though. She was cooking for another person, after all. And yet, that boy was asking her what _she_ wanted and it made all the difference. It certainly made a stark contrast with all those times she had cooked for her father back in Oz. All the occasions where Zelena had tried her best to make a nice meal for him only for the old man to take it without so much as a ‘thank you.’ And there could be worse outcomes. Sometimes, he would be drunk, or plainly angry, and he would throw the served food across the room. The memory of the sound it did when it hit the wall still made her flinch. He would always be screaming insults at her all the while, with the table as the only object between them. Once more, she was grateful that her father had been too afraid of her to become physically violent, even though she knew his looks of disgust and fear hurt as much as blows.

Suddenly, Henry cleared his throat, bringing her back to reality. She felt dizzy, almost as if she were to be sick. At his concerned look, she leant back against the counter, griping it tightly so that her hands would stop trembling. The ginger gave him a shaky smile and, as the dizziness faded away, she nodded a bit more confidently when he asked her if she was okay.

“So, what’s your favourite food?” He repeated the question with the firm belief that it was not an extraordinary thing to ask.

“I don’t think my childhood meals are as tasty as yours, Henry, but I can try to prepare some of what Regina usually makes for lunch,” she said apologetically. A little smile fought to show up on her face. She felt slightly more relaxed than at the beginning of their conversation.

“A meal from Oz?” That’s so cool!” he exclaimed unexpectedly. “What’s it?”

“It’s just... rabbit pottage. It’s a sort of stew,” she explained, somewhat hesitantly.

“I wanna try it. If you don’t mind cooking it, of course.”

“You do? I mean, it’s going to take some time. But if you don’t mind, neither do I.”

It seemed he was not starving anymore, because he agreed and took a seat at the kitchen table. He picked up an apple from the fruit bowl, toying with it. After staying quiet for some seconds, he started talking again.

“I finished my homework yesterday, so if you want, we can play for a while after lunch. We could try an action game. I think you’ll manage.”

Zelena smirked a little, insecure whether she should take that as a compliment.

“Well, thank you, Henry.”

He did not answer to her joking tone, instead asking another question out of the blue.

“Do you play when I’m not here?”

“No, of course not.” She was surprised by his question, for it had never crossed her mind.

“Well, you can, you know. If you want to keep practising.”

That time, Zelena turned from what she was doing on the counter to thank him. She truly appreciated his gesture. Once again, the teenager did not let the silence last long as the redhead went back to cooking.

“My friend and I were going to play video games after lunch at his home. I have a few games from New York nobody’s seen around here yet,” he rambled on, with the former witch humming and nodding at times so he would know he was being listened to. “I like school more now that people age and my classmates pass grades at the same time as me. Besides, people remember their lives in the Enchanted Forest and it’s awesome when teachers mention it in their lessons.” He remained quiet for a moment and, when he spoke again, he was making an effort to keep sounding nonchalant. “Most people think it’s cool I have the mayor and the sheriff as my moms. There are some who think my family’s weird, but I guess my family tree _is_ pretty messed up, so...”

Zelena turned around in time to see him shrugging off his own words. A heavy weight settled in the pit of her stomach and she could not help feeling a little protective towards the boy. Before she could think about what she was going to say, she had opened her mouth.

“Your family isn’t weird, Henry. All right, it’s a little complicated, but... What I mean is you’re not...” she trailed off in order not to keep putting her foot in her mouth. She wanted to berate herself. She was useless at comforting people.

“It’s okay. I know I shouldn’t listen to them,” he said, tugging up the corners of his mouth with an air of resignation, as if he was tired of his own advice.

He was not even upset about her failing and she felt her cheeks burn. She was out of her comfort zone, but she spoke impulsively once again.

“You’re good. You’re incredibly good and special, Henry. Don’t let anyone bring you down.”

The boy looked at her in surprise, but he recovered quickly, sending her a bright smile that contrasted with her embarrassed expression. Zelena could not believe those words had left her mouth. She turned around and busied herself with making lunch. Henry kept on chatting, now more cheerful. He even remembered asking her about the green spot and she had the joy of telling him it had disappeared completely.

Later, after the teenager had set the table and the food was ready, they sat at the kitchen table to eat together —Henry telling recent stories and Zelena listening to him closely.

* * *

When Regina arrived, she was confused upon hearing chatter coming from the kitchen. Her mind registered that the voice belonged to Henry and she could not help panicking. She could have given motives for her reaction, although if she were to be completely honest, she did not believe them anymore. Even so, she hurried to the kitchen trying not to make much noise. She stopped at the door frame and the scene she could observe from there allowed her heart to stop pounding in her chest.

Henry was telling some story —after listening for some seconds, she deduced it was the one about the apple tree in New York—, while Zelena smiled softly, paying attention to nothing but him. Between them, already empty dishes had been left forgotten.

The redhead must have seen her out of the corner of her eye. At once, she looked up, tearing her gaze away from Henry for the first time. Her pleasant expression vanished as the colour drained from her face. She jumped off the chair and, startled by her reaction, Henry looked back, finally spotting Regina. The brunette took it as her cue to stride in the kitchen. Her son got up, too, and greeted her with a kiss on her cheek. He did not look like he was going to apologise for breaking the rules that time.

“Aunt Zelena cooks really well, Mom,” he blurted out.

She caressed his cheek and looked up from him to fix her gaze on her sister.

“Is that so?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

She thought she had made the playful tone clear enough, but to her surprise, the redhead started to justify herself at once. And her tone was more anxious than defensive.

“I didn’t offer. He came because his friend had fallen sick and I hadn’t had lunch yet. So I made something. He said he didn’t like the potato salad you left.”

Regina was not even sure that was a coherent explanation, but she understood the essential.

“Yes, he’d say that,” she replied, throwing a half-stern look at Henry.

“Stop talking as if I weren’t here,” he grumbled, glancing at his mother. Then, he seemed to think better of it and added, “But I’m gonna go read for a while, so keep going, I guess.”

Regina almost let out a loud laugh at that, but she restrained herself in time and let him go after pointing out with a frown that they would talk about it later.

Once her son had got out, she started to carry dishes to the sink. Zelena took a moment to follow her, but she did so without a word. The brunette did not speak, either, wanting to know what was going on inside the other woman’s head. She started to do the dishes while her sister kept fidgeting next to her.

“So, you’re not angry?” she finally asked. Her question seemed to seek more confirmation than she would have wanted to let on.

Regina barely spared a glance at her.

“Should I?”

She sounded more serious that time and it was met with no answer. Sighing internally, she decided to put the redhead out of her misery.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” she said, a bit gentler. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Right away, Zelena’s whole demeanour changed and she let out a bitter laugh.

“Would you have eaten anything cooked by me?”

The brunette had nothing to say to this. Even though her fears had been proven ludicrous, if she were honest with herself, she would probably have been reluctant to do so.

Her sister sighed and turned around, so that now both of their backs were facing each other.

“I used to cook for my father, back in Oz,” she started. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I suppose I enjoyed it, even though he was a much less pleasant public than your son.” There was a brief pause and, then, Regina could hear the smile in her voice. “Henry asked me for my favourite dish.”

Having finished washing, she turned to Zelena, who was facing her again, too.

“You should’ve told me, you know. It would’ve saved me a lot of meals whenever I got out.”

She had meant it as a harmless joke, to soothe the memory of her past, but a sudden flash of naked hurt crossed the blue eyes. Not giving her sister time to retort back, the brunette backpedalled.

“I was joking.”

The redhead nodded, but still said nothing. She had tried to make light of the situation and she had failed. Thus, she needed another way to let Zelena know she was not alone in her pain.

“When I was a child, I wished I could cook,” the brunette started, gazing out the window. “But Cora thought it wasn’t very lady-like. Even so, I tried to make a cake for her, once. I don’t even remember anymore if it was her birthday or just another day of seeking her approval. Anyway, the cook was kind enough to help me and avoid I burned myself.” She made a small pause, noticing Zelena’s intense blue eyes fixed on her. “When Mother found out, she was furious I had disobeyed her and gone down to the kitchen. She threw the cake across the room and I got punished. The cook was fired, or killed. I don’t really know.”

She stopped talking as abruptly as she had begun. Zelena’s gaze was still on her and it was difficult to know what was crossing the redhead’s mind at the moment. It suddenly occurred to Regina that she may be thinking the former Queen was trying to downplay what she had gone through with her father.

“I don’t mean you don—” she hurried to explain, but her sister cut her off.

“I know.”

Both of them remained silent for a moment, avoiding looking each other in the eye.

“Thank you for making lunch for Henry,” the mayor said at last.

Zelena shrugged off.

“It was nothing.” Although her first reaction upon seeing the brunette at the kitchen door contradicted her words, Regina decided not to call her on it. The redhead wet her lips, as if she were steeling herself to say something else. “It’d be nice to cook some other time. With you watching, of course.” She had obviously panicked when her suggestion was out in the open and she added the last line in a rush.

Regina had not expected that answer and, for a moment, she was completely speechless.

“Oh. Eh... We’ll see, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” her sister agreed hastily. “I’m going upstairs to lie down for a bit.”

“Okay,” she muttered, nodding, as the redhead got out of the kitchen. She stood there for another moment, trying to process what had just happened. She had the feeling the whole conversation had changed everything, but she had neither the will nor the strength to think about it right then.

Slowly, she went to the living room, where she found Henry reading. She settled on the couch next to him and they smiled at each other because, whatever came out of it, it was undoubtedly a good thing.

“So, you shouldn’t have been here alone with Zelena,” she started, sobering a little. Nevertheless, she knew she did not sound even remotely upset.

“I don’t see why not, Mom,” he replied, defensive all the same. “She’s... I know she’s not supposed to, but she’s fun. And she hasn’t tried anything against us since she lives here.”

“I know,” said Regina, a little exasperated. She wanted to add ‘She’s also quite unstable,’ but she held back. “At least you could’ve told me you were coming home, though.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt you date with Robin. And everything was really fine.”

“Henry, your safety is more important than any date! How could you thi—?”

“Relax, Mom. I know that. But there was no danger. And you’ve been so stressed lately. I wanted you to have some fun for once.”

Regina gulped, as the words meant more than she could say. She reached out and put her hand on Henry’s cheek. Maybe she could not express it with words, but she could with gestures.

“When have you grown up so much?” She smiled proudly. “You’ll always be my little prince, though.”

He could not fight a smile despite his apparent embarrassment. She let him go and they stayed quiet for some seconds, until she decided to break the silence in order to address the other topic that would not let her mind alone.

“Do you really think of Zelena as your aunt?”

Henry shrugged in a very typical teenaged manner. After a moment, he looked at his mother, more serious.

“I guess so. I’ve been thinking about her like that for a while, but I didn’t dare say it out loud because... Well, at first I didn’t know if I wanted to feel that way about her. And then, I didn’t want to scare her away.”

Regina nodded, intertwining her fingers with his.

“Whatever you decide, it’s totally up to you. You shouldn’t feel any worse for choosing one thing or another.”

“So you’re okay with it?”

“Of course.”

It made Regina feel over the moon to know that her confidence gave him security, too. They kept holding onto each other for a long while.

“And, um... D’you think I’ve scared her away?”

At this, she let out a small, short chuckle.

“Well, you can’t certainly expect everyone to be as brave as you. Maybe, I don’t know. You’ll have to see it for yourself. But give her a little bit of time. You can go up in an hour or two if she hasn’t come down yet.”

Henry agreed and, straight away, he started shooting questions about her date with Robin. It was not easy to get off and Regina was very grateful that, at least, he liked Robin. She was starting to fear the day her son would also begin to pester him with questions, though.

* * *

She had not lied to Regina. Zelena had gone to her room and had lain for a long time. She had started thinking about how Henry had wanted her to cook for him without a second thought, and how her sister had showed up but there had been neither yelling nor arguments. However, then, her mind had wandered off and now she could not stop thinking about the word ‘aunt.’

She knew it did not have to mean anything special. She still referred as ‘father’ to the drunk man that was anything but a good parent to her. And she and Regina had called each other sisters when they were still trying to destroy one another. Still, it sounded different when Henry said it. He said those words as if he always meant it from the bottom of his heart.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and held back the tears. It surely meant nothing. The boy had probably said it without thinking. And yet, that hurt, too.

She did not even know what she wanted. She had not had a clue since she had moved into that house.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts and she sighed, drying the unshed tears and sitting up on the bed. It was probably her sister, wondering how much her seclusion would last that time.

“What now, Regina?”

The voice that came from the other side of the door was not female, though.

“It’s Henry.”

She froze for an instant, before hastily getting off the bed and going to open the door.

The boy was there, smiling somewhat hesitantly.

“I thought we could play that game I talked about earlier, Aunt Zelena. If you’re not doing anything.”

He had said it again and, that time, she could not convince herself he had not meant it. She swallowed, nodding faintly and following him downstairs.

They reached the living room and sat on the sofa in front of the television as always. Regina was there, too, reading on the armchair in a corner. She did not even look up from her book when they entered.

Henry switched on the television. Zelena glanced at the brunette once more —she really seemed engrossed in her book. Before Henry could start the game, she spoke to him in a low voice.

“You shouldn’t call me that.”

The boy looked at her, frowning.

“Don’t you like it?”

“It’s not about that.” The redhead sighed. How could she explain something she did not know how to put into words herself? “It doesn’t matter whether I like it or not. It’s not right.”

Henry’s frown deepened and he did not answer right away. Nevertheless, when he did, he chose the sassy reply.

“It was you who introduced herself like that, remember?” he retorted, his eyebrows going up as if to prove his point.

Zelena cringed. She did not need the reminder of the day she had almost strangled her nephew. Suddenly, she remembered Regina was also in the room. She glanced at her, but the mayor still had her eyes fixed on her book —even though it was impossible she had not heard her son.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” she said, turning to Henry again. She was thinking about calling herself ‘auntie’ that day, but she would have liked to apologise for hurting him as well. She just did not feel ready. However, she was ready, at least, to admit she did not quite measure up to be an aunt.

At once, Henry became completely serious again. His intense gaze reminded her of Regina.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have back then. But things have changed. And to be honest, I like having an aunt.”

Tears welled up in her eyes and it took her all her self-control not to cry her eyes out right then. She blinked several times and gave him a curt nod when it was obvious she would not find words to answer him. Henry took it without asking for more, though.

They started to play the new game, but soon it became evident that the redhead could not focus on it. So they ended up playing Mario Kart again, which she felt surprisingly comfortable with.

They played until it was almost time for dinner. Henry went upstairs to take a shower while the adults prepared dinner. Even though Regina did not extend an invitation to help her out anymore, she never seemed to mind the company and Zelena guessed their routine remained unaltered. She could not be sure, though, not when she had yet to assess the brunette’s mood. Her sister had never replied to her question about being angry —an answer in itself—, but her silence showed just how much the word ‘aunt’ had upset her. The redhead wanted to claim it was not her fault —it had not been her who had come up with the stupid term. She did not dare, though, and her sister kept taking things out of cupboards quietly.

Finally, Regina turned to her and handed out a bowl, telling her to make the salad. Zelena took it without a word, but the brunette’s voice stopped her before she could turn to the fridge.

“Are you okay with Henry calling you aunt?”

What sort of answer did the younger woman expect? Zelena froze on the spot, thinking of what she should say.

“I can’t make him stop,” she snapped, defensively.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

The redhead ran her tongue across her lips briefly, trying to come up with something else. Yet, there was not much else she could say in her defence.

“I know he shouldn’t, but believe me, it wasn’t my idea.”

“You’re still avoiding my question, sis,” Regina replied, much more calmly than her while rolling her eyes.

That other term, conveying fondness of all things, snapped Zelena out of it. Started, she realised the brunette had not sounded angry at any moment. She was taken aback by that detail.

“Why does it matter so much whether I’m okay with it or not? Still, it’s not all right.”

“Why not?” the former Queen asked, rather surprised. “If he wants to call you so, he certainly has a right. But I wouldn’t want you to feel you too uncomfortable, either.”

“You’re... okay with it?” The question came out as a mix of incredulity and caution.

Regina shrugged slightly.

“Well, you’re my sister, so I don’t find it so odd that he thinks of you as his aunt.”

The matter-of-fact way in which her sister said it was what shocked Zelena most. The redhead thought maybe the other woman was not okay with it, just resigned.

“Perhaps...” she started, doubtful. “Perhaps he doesn’t mean it.”

“Oh, trust me, he does.” The brunette smirked a little, just to become extremely serious at once. “When he didn’t... When he discovered the curse and it broke, he didn’t see me as his mother. I’d failed him. And he stopped calling me Mom.” Regina took a deep breath, trying to get the strength to keep going. “It was the worst time of my life. So trust me when I say he does mean it when he uses a word.”

Zelena was speechless. Not only was it a very intimate memory to share, but also Regina had clearly put into words how much meaning a term such as that could convey. She did not know what to reply. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind: ‘I won’t let him down.’ She could not say that out loud, though. Even if her sister felt confident enough to share such intimate thoughts, the ginger did not. Besides, she did not really believe she could fulfil it. If she did not say it out loud, at least she could pretend she had not failed.

“I didn’t know,” she said instead, stupidly.

Regina forced a smile at this.

“It’s okay. Things needed to change and they did. It always seems more impossible than it really is.”

Zelena committed the last line to memory, because it truly seemed impossible to change her fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another vignette full of domesticity taking place after this chapter: [Trying Chocolate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465270/chapters/49873649). Enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life's hectic at the moment but here's another chapter, finally! Enjoy and comment, please. =)

Henry kept calling her ‘Aunt Zelena’ on a daily basis, so she had little choice but to get used to it. She had quickly grown accustomed to having him around even when Regina was still out, though. The days he was not home, the house was far too quiet. She would only admit to herself that she may miss the boy, but it was probably no secret since no one questioned it when she woke up unnecessarily early on weekdays just to have breakfast with mother and son.

However, one morning Zelena hurried to the kitchen only to find Regina already there and still wearing her pyjamas.

“Aren’t you going to work today?” the redhead asked, confused.

“No. Henry’s woken up a little feverish, so I’ve called the office and told them I’d stay home taking care of him,” the mayor replied without looking up from the pills she was taking out of a box.

Zelena could certainly not blame Regina for choosing to stay with her son rather than trust her sister to keep an eye on him, so she tried not to react strongly to the news. It took her several seconds to think of what she should actually ask.

“Oh. Is he... Is he going to be all right?”

Regina looked focused, but not overly concerned, it was likely nothing serious.

“Yes,” the brunette answered absent-mindedly. Finally, she looked at Zelena and offered a small smile. “It must be just the flu. I’m going to take these to him. I’ll be back in a minute. Could you start breakfast for the two of us meanwhile?”

“Of course. What would you like?”

“Just coffee and toast.”

Zelena nodded and Regina got out, hurrying upstairs. The redhead ignored the churning feeling in her stomach and started making coffee, deciding she would need it, too.

A while later, when breakfast was already on the table, the mayor showed up. She gave her sister a grateful smile as she sat.

“Hopefully, the pills will reduce his fever. He’s trying to fall asleep again,” Regina commented. “I doubt he can, though, so I’ll go back upstairs as soon as I finish this.”

“I hope he gets well soon,” Zelena managed to reply awkwardly.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be as right as rain tomorrow.”

They kept eating in silence after that brief exchange. The redhead did not know very well how to act in that sort of situation. She wondered several times whether she should go upstairs with Regina and keep Henry company. She would not mind in the least, but she did not wish to get in the way, either.

As they finished, Zelena offered to do the dishes, so that her sister could go back to Henry’s side. Even if she would never say anything, from time to time it still amazed her how easy dynamics could be in that house. Here, offering one’s help was met with a grateful smile instead of the cold indifference she had been used to. At Regina’s place, her help was appreciated because those chores were not expected to be her obligation alone. Everyone helped and Zelena found she liked that feeling of fairness very much.

Once she had tidied up the kitchen, she went upstairs without thinking. Yet, when she reached the corridor, she hesitated. Stealthily, she came closer to the boy’s door. From there, she could hear a gentle voice talking non-stop —it took her a moment to grasp that her sister was reading a story. Suddenly, the ginger realised the mayor was not only going to stay at home and check that Henry’s fever did not get higher. She was also willing to entertain her son, to make his sickness more bearable. Zelena had no much experience in loving parents. Neither did she in being sick. She had always done what needed to be done. And when her father was hung-over, he would not have exactly welcomed her coddling.

Regina’s voice stopped and the redhead went back to her bedroom slowly. She closed her door and bit back a sigh. On her way to the windowsill, she picked up her book from the bedside table and tried to get engrossed in the reading —tried to forget how foreign and included she could feel in that family at the same time.

Less than an hour later, a knock on her door interrupted her reading. Before she could say anything, it opened anyway and Regina peeked in. Zelena put down her book and got up with a questioning frown on her face.

“I need to go to the store for some cough syrup,” the brunette told her, wasting no time. “Could you check on Henry meanwhile? It’ll be just a moment.”

“What?” she blurted out. Then, she regained her composure and stepped forward. “I mean, yes, but... What... What do I need to do?”

“Nothing, relax. He’s finally asleep and I’ll be back shortly.”

Zelena gulped and forced herself to calm down. She nodded curtly.

“All right, don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”

Her voice sounded firm and steady. Yet, Regina let a small, knowing smile show up on her face as the other woman followed her out to the corridor.

“I’m sure it will. I’ll be back in a moment,” she repeated.

When the brunette disappeared from her sight, Zelena went to Henry’s room just to check there was truly nothing she was required to do. As his mother had said, the boy was asleep. She came closer to his bed, but it was the first time she had set foot in that bedroom, so she allowed herself to take a careful look around. At that very instant, Henry began to cough, tossing in dreams. She had no time to steel herself as his hazel eyes opened slightly, searching the room.

“Mom?” His voice was a hoarse whisper.

Zelena took an impulsive step forward only to stop right away once again. She intertwined her fingers to avoid fidgeting.

“She’s gone to get cough syrup, Henry. She’ll be right back.”

Her nephew turned his head when he heard her voice. He smiled at her weakly and, then, yawned.

“Aunt Zelena,” he greeted. “Come here, sit with me for a bit,” he told her, patting the spot next to him. Another sudden cough attack overcame him and disrupted the calm atmosphere. “Well, maybe not too close. I wouldn’t want you to catch it.”

The redhead sat on the bed anyway —although hesitating for her own reasons.

“Shouldn’t you be trying to go back to sleep?” she asked when he showed no intention to close his eyes.

“Yeah, but the cough isn’t going to let me,” he whined, coughing again, as if to prove his point.

Zelena grimaced sympathetically.

“Is there something I can do to help?”

The question slipped through her lips before she could really think about it. She hoped Henry would not want anything out of her reach. The boy stayed silent for a moment, but it did not take long for him to gather his courage in order to ask.

“Will you tell me a story?”

“Oh.” The woman was rendered speechless for a few seconds. She remembered Regina’s luring voice and a light blush covered her cheeks. “I don’t know any story, Henry.”

“Can’t you tell me something about Oz?”

She hesitated, knowing her life had been no fairy tale, but also wanting to comply.

“Well, you see...” she started, looking down at the bedspread, where her hand was resting, or rather, fidgeting despite her best efforts. “Munchinks are supposed to live east of the Emerald City, but sometimes, you could see one of them wandering around the city, trying to sell...”

She looked up and saw her nephew closing his eyes, a small smile grazing his content face. For a moment, she became speechless. She was someone’s aunt and that someone trusted her without a second thought.

* * *

Regina had had no concerns about leaving Henry with Zelena, but she was not very sure about what scenario would greet her upon her arrival. Without thinking, she climbed up the stairs in silence. She heard her sister’s voice first —it sounded different, though. It sounded confident and excited, unlike Regina had ever heard it.

The mayor leant back against the door frame, not wanting to interrupt the scene so soon. However, it was not long before the redhead noticed her. She stopped her story at once and the pause made Henry look up, too. He was still pale, even though he did look a bit more alert.

“Hi, sweetheart,” she said, coming in and sitting on the bed next to her sister. She supposed she should count as a success that Zelena had barely tensed. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, Mom.” She put a hand on his forehead, anyway, but it seemed his fever had actually gone down. “Aunt Zelena was telling me a story about one time she got lost in the forest and almost ate a poisonous mushroom while trying to get home.”

“Really? And what did you do?” Regina asked right away, turning towards her. Zelena rarely talked about her past, so the brunette was not going to let the chance slip by.

The ginger blushed slightly and toyed with her fingers to avoid looking at her. After a few seconds, she seemed to make up her mind and went on.

“I picked it up, observed it for a long time... It’s not that interesting, really. In the end, I just decided not to eat it because it smelled strange and I couldn’t cook it first. I wasn’t _that_ hungry. Later, I learnt it was a poisonous species. It was getting dark, anyway, so I needed to find my way back.” She paused for a second, as if waiting for something, but neither Regina nor Henry cut her off —although the boy was obviously eager to know what had happened next. “I was getting a bit desperate, so even though I didn’t... like it, I resorted to magic.” Zelena was clearly having trouble recalling this part, but after glancing up at them, she took a deep breath and seemed to get a grip on herself, continuing her story more calmly. “I conjured a little flame thinking of my home unconsciously —I just needed something so I wouldn’t be alone. But I started walking and noticed the flame would become slightly smaller or bigger depending on where I went. I reached home following those paths the flame indicated by growing bigger. Now, I think it was feeding on the presence of my magic in the house.”

Regina did not ask why her former home would have strong magical remnants if she did not like to use it —she knew accidents happened.

“Very impressive,” she commented instead.

“It’s no big deal,” the redhead replied dismissively, but she could not hide a little satisfied smile entirely.

“It is,” Henry agreed with his mother right away. “You know a lot about magic, don’t you?”

“Well...”

“She does,” the mayor cut in.

In the past, she would not have wanted to encourage her son’s interest in magic at all. Now, however, she knew one could also develop light magic and do good things with it. She thought that, at the moment, recognising Zelena’s ability carried more weight than worrying about Henry liking magic. Her little prince had grown up and had already seen what magic could do to a person. He knew its risks and benefits. There was nothing else to do but to trust his judgement.

In any case, she had not considered that her sister would misread her intentions, as she very often did. Zelena stiffened and refused to look at any of them. Regina was about to sigh —or yell—, but she restrained herself. She did not wish to know what dark thoughts were clouding the ginger’s mind right then. It was probably something along the lines of not being allowed to talk about magic in Henry’s presence. Her intentions had been quite the opposite, though, and now she had to think of a way to fix it that did not alert him —her boy was finally, slowly dozing off.

Still unsure about the outcome of her actions, Regina slightly brushed her shoulder against Zelena’s.

“Should be no surprise you were such an adept witch even as a child. After all, we share blood.”

To her relief, there was no uncomfortable silence next. Zelena rolled her eyes and smirked, looking down at Henry before looking up at her.

“Please, you forget I watched you. You couldn’t even manage a decent fireball. I conjured a compass fireball,” the redhead whispered back with all the smugness she was able to muster —all her previous doubts seemed already forgotten.


	6. Chapter 6

Henry had been fine by the following morning, but Regina had not wanted to take any risks and he had stayed home that day, too. The boy had complained about how fussy his mother was, although Zelena could easily see he liked the extra attention. Who would not?

The redhead had stayed with them for little bits of time, but she had made a point of discreetly slipping away every now and then. They clearly had a special routine developed through the years and she was happy enough watching it.

Since the boy felt better, Emma passed by to pick him up in the late afternoon. The brunette had been a bit pale by then and told Zelena she would go to her bedroom and lie down for a bit. However, hours had passed and she had yet to come down. The former witch thought of making dinner just for herself, but another thought stopped her. Regina had cooked for her plenty of times and, if the redhead had gone hungry to bed some day, it had not been her sister’s fault. It was only fair that now she repaid the favour.

She went upstairs, where she found Regina’s door closed. She knocked, but it was met with no answer. The thought of letting it be crossed her mind, but she impulsively turned the handle and opened the door a crack. The room was mostly in the dark, since the only light came from the window and the sun had already set outside.

“Regina?” she whispered.

A faint murmur was the only reply she received. Gathering all her courage, she opened it wider and stepped inside.

“It’s dinnertime,” she went on hesitantly.

The quiet felt more ominous than Zelena would care to admit. She saw her sister sitting upright on the bed slowly. Regina put a hand on her forehead, but it was too dark to clearly see her face.

“Ugh.” The brunette finally looked up at her —Zelena could not say whether the other woman was surprised to see her there or not, though. “I’m not hungry,” she replied in a raspy voice. “Go and make dinner for yourself.”

The rather harsh request increased the redhead’s reluctance to insist. And so, she finally complied when Regina added, “Go. I want to sleep.”

Zelena went to the kitchen, but as the burning feeling of humiliation registered, so did the fact that her sister had not sounded sleepy, but rather sick. It was the same kind of grogginess Henry had suffered the previous day. Regina had insisted on the necessity of getting plenty of fluids when one was sick and she would not have let a couple of snappish comments stop her from feeding her son —bloody hell, she had not let the Wicked Witch starve despite her initial and frequent provocations. There seemed to be just one course of action. Knowing it would be very bold of her to do so, the redhead started cooking before she could have second thoughts.

A few minutes later, she was in front of Regina’s door again, her hands holding a tray with a steaming bowl of soup. That time, she hesitated longer before knocking. When she finally did, she did not wait for an answer, instead cracking the door open in case her sister was really sick and could not talk very loudly.

“What now?” came her hoarse voice from the bed. She sounded annoyed and Zelena gulped unconsciously.

“I’ve brought you some soup... in case you got hungry.”

Her own voice sounded too doubtful to her liking, but she could not help it. Every instinct within her was screaming she should not be doing that, and for a big number of reasons.

Regina sat up again and lit the lamp on her bedside table. The warm light allowed Zelena to see the surprise on her face.

“You’ve made me soup?”

“Yeah. I...” She was itching to put down the tray somewhere and get out of the room, but she did not dare enter any farther without permission. “I saw it was what you’d made for Henry these days. And you didn’t sound very... I mean, it seemed like you were coming down with something.”

“Yes, it seems I’ve got whatever Henry had,” said the brunette, somewhat resigned. Then, she seemed to notice Zelena had not moved from her spot and she beckoned her closer. “Don’t stay standing there, come on.”

The redhead finally stepped forward. She put down the tray on the bedside table and Regina moved closer to it.

“Thanks, sis. This smells wonderfully.”

“You’re welcome,” was the reply as her anxiety was hidden behind a bright smile. “I’ll leave you to it. Do you need anything else?”

“No, don’t worry. I don’t even have a fever.”

Later, when Zelena went to collect the tray, she found the bowl empty and her sister sleeping, so she herself went to bed without a care in the world.

It did not worry her, either, that Regina had not got up yet when she woke up the following morning. She left coffee brewing in the kitchen and went back upstairs. She rapped softly on the door and waited, but there was no answer. She knocked again and, still, nothing was heard on the other side. She wondered whether she should maybe let Regina sleep in, since it was not so late. And yet, she had an odd feeling that would not go away. She decided to open the door anyway, but the expected complaint did not come. It really looked like she was sleeping, so the redhead turned around to get out before she could wake her. A whimper stopped her.

“Regina? Are you okay?” she asked as she turned around once more.

Zelena walked to the bed hesitantly, but there was still no reaction on the brunette’s part. Not wanting to switch on the lights, she opened the curtains and a shy ray of sunlight entered the bedroom. She came up to the bed again, becoming as pale as her sister when she saw her.

The mayor’s face was drenched in sweat and she looked like she was in pain.

“Regina!”

At her high-pitched scream, the brunette scrunched up her face, still with her eyes closed.

“Don’t yell. My head hurts,” she whispered.

Zelena dropped onto the bed and put a hand on her sister’s forehead right away.

“You’re... You’re burning up,” she said faintly. “What can I do?”

Her desperation had no effect on Regina, though, for she seemed not to even be fully awake.

“Let me sleep,” the younger woman whined.

Zelena realised there was no reasoning with her at the moment. She remained sitting on the bed for a long moment, having no clue how to proceed. Then, a crazy idea came to mind and she got up and ran out of the bedroom. Downstairs, she found Regina’s handbag and, inside, her mobile phone. As she picked it up, she noticed her hands were shaking badly. Trying to ignore it, she found the name she was looking for. He did not take long to answer.

“Robin, it’s Zelena,” she announced right away, so fast her voice did not even waver.

“Zelena? What’s wrong?”

“Regina’s sick,” she replied hastily. “I... I don’t know what to do.”

“Sick? What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s got a very high fever, but won’t... can’t tell me what I should do.”

“All right, hold on. I’ll call Snow, okay? She’ll know what to do. I’ll be there as soon as possible,” Robin promised, having swallowed down his own fear.

“Okay,” she whispered, having no strength to add anything else.

They hung up and she lingered in the hall. She was clearly panicking, but she did not know how to stop.

Less than ten minutes later, Robin knocked on the front door. The redhead hurried to open it and saw that his face mirrored the worry she was feeling.

“Snow will be here shortly,” he told her as they went upstairs.

The sunlight was brighter and they found Regina hiding almost completely under the bedcover.

“Milady...” Robin whispered as he quickly went to her. Zelena stayed at the door, fidgeting with her hands. She had done nothing wrong and yet, she felt oddly guilty.

The former thief pushed some damp locks out of his girlfriend’s face.

“She’s burning up,” he repeated unnecessarily. “We should put a cold cloth on her while Snow arrives.”

Zelena nodded wordlessly and went to the bathroom to wet a towel. She should have done that, but she had not dared come back to Regina’s room alone —with empty hands and zero solutions.

She brought the wet towel to the bedroom and handed it to Robin, who put it on Regina’s forehead. The cold seemed to bring her some relief and, blindly, she grabbed his wrist, smiling ever so slightly. Robin smiled at her, too. It was a few seconds before he suddenly looked back and saw the redhead gazing at them with a troubled expression.

“She’ll be all right, Zelena,” he assured her, as if he knew any more than she did about that world’s medicine.

“How could you know?” she snapped, although her voice did not match the fear in her eyes.

She ran a hand across her hair as she went to the window. She liked it how she could not see her reflection on the window glass, only the outside landscape.

“Medicine’s so much better here.”

She made a sceptical gesture, not bothering to turn around.

“It’s going to be all right. It’s just a fever.”

His conviction was absolute, as if he did not believe any other outcome was possible. He may not, but Zelena did.

“I already lost someone because the fever wouldn’t go down.”

The words were out before she could think about what she was saying. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. She needed to regain control of her emotions. A low whisper proved that task more difficult than it used to be.

“Not going anywhere.”

Zelena spun around, startled. Regina had not even opened her eyes, although that did not mean her words lost any significance. Still, she neither moved from her spot nor showed any signs of relief or gratitude. She just went back to looking out the window, as if she found the town landscape more reassuring than her sister’s voice.

Snow arrived shortly after. Robin went out to greet her whereas Zelena stayed with Regina. However, when she heard Snow’s worried voice going upstairs, she had not enough courage to remain there. She would just be getting in the way and losing her temper more than she would like. Before exiting the room, she took a last look at her sister. She knew she would be well attended with her boyfriend and her... whatever Snow was now. She went to her own bedroom and closed the door behind her with a sigh, willing herself to stop thinking if just for a moment.

* * *

Soon, Zelena learnt that hearing undistinguished voices would not help to calm her nerves at all. However, Snow did not go away, so she remained where she was. As she kept trying to focus on the page she had supposedly been reading for the past ten minutes, a knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts.

“Who’s there?” she blurted out.

“It’s Robin. I’ve brought you some tea,” came the accented voice from the other side promptly.

Astonished, she got up from the windowsill and went to the door. She opened it and indeed there was Robin, standing in the corridor with a tray. He handed it out to her and she took it still in a daze.

“I didn’t know how you take your tea, so I’ve brought you some sugar and milk as well.”

“T— Thank you,” she finally managed to utter.

“Well, I don’t want to bother you anymore. I just made tea for us and thought you may want some, too.”

“Yes, thank you,” she repeated.

Before Zelena could think of asking anything, he turned around and left her there alone. She closed the door with her foot and put the tray on her chest of drawers. She started preparing her tea, glad to have something to do with her hands.

She was still shocked that Robin had thought of her. At least she had reacted in time and had not made a fool of herself when she had thanked him. That had to count as progress, right? She deeply regretted telling him of her mother, even though she had not said it was her the person she had lost. She suddenly hoped he had not brought her tea out of pity.

As she drank the beverage, she came up with an idea. She could go out under the pretext of taking the tray to the kitchen and, meanwhile, find out how Regina was. She put the cup down as soon as she finished and headed downstairs. She did not find the kitchen empty, though. Robin was there washing the dishes.

“Was it any good?” he asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye as she put the tray on the counter.

“Yes, it was nice,” she replied neutrally, pursing her lips.

He said nothing else and they stayed in silence for some seconds, until Zelena accepted she was the one who would have to break it.

“How... How’s Regina doing?” she managed to ask, a bit awkwardly.

“She’s doing well. The fever’s gone down and Snow doesn’t think we’ll need to take her to a doctor.”

“That’s good,” she said, relieved, and allowed her lips to tug up slightly.

“Why don’t you go and check in on her yourself?”

As always, Robin sounded utterly non-judgemental. Nevertheless, the redhead swallowed and looked away before answering.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“You wouldn’t b—”

“I’m sure Snow wouldn’t think so,” she snapped.

Right away, she froze, waiting for Robin to snap back. However, her lashing out did not provoke any other angry replies.

“As you wish,” he answered, shrugging. “But you should be more concerned about your sister’s opinion.”

His words were still not recriminatory, but they stung all the same. She had nothing to answer back, so without a second look she turned around and climbed up the stairs briskly. She hesitated before entering her room, though. Instead, she approached Regina’s open door, listening to what was going on inside without revealing herself.

“... should go. I’ll be fine,” Regina was saying. She still sounded a little croaky, but her voice was stronger.

“I can stay for today,” was Snow’s stubborn answer.

“There’s really no need, dear. You and Robin should go back to your families. I’m not dying, for heaven’s sake.”

“Regina, you’re my family, too, and someone has to check your fever doesn’t go up.”

“I know. Zelena can do it. I don’t know where she’s gone, but she can,” the brunette said a bit exasperatedly, as if it were not the first time they were having that argument.

There was a pause and the redhead thought she should go away before Robin came back. However, before she did, Snow spoke again.

“I’d rather check on you myself.”

“Snow.” Regina’s voice was firm, but not unkind. “Go home and relax. I’ll be fine. I’m not alone.”

Zelena heard Snow walking around the room and decided she had heard enough. She went back to her bedroom and sat in her usual spot by the window, looking out. She thought about her sister’s words as well as Robin’s.

She felt uneasy, because Regina had sounded completely sure of herself and the ginger did not even dare go to her room. If only it were because she did not care about her welfare or because they had left her out. If only she could feel angry at Snow or jealous of her. Zelena would understand any of those feelings. However, what she was currently feeling was neither anger nor envy nor apathy. She did not know what she should label it, but it made her feel weak and she did not like it one bit.

Tears prickled her eyes as if to make some sort of point. Irritated, she dried them roughly with her hands. A knock interrupted her brief breakdown and she could not help glaring at the door. That time, she let some seconds pass before opening, so that she could get a grip on herself.

“Come in.”

Indifference sounded clear in her voice. It was also present in her apparently calm demeanour —by contrast, Snow looked slightly nervous. As soon as she saw the brunette, Zelena felt her face harden. The younger woman went straight to the point.

“Robin and I need to get back to our kids. Regina assures me there’ll be no problem leaving her with you.”

“And don’t you believe her, Snow White?” she retorted, tauntingly.

“I trust her, but I want to make sure you’re going to take good care of her.”

Snow’s voice had become harder as well. Zelena was not sure why she was antagonising her, but if felt good.

“You shouldn’t trust her feverish judgement so much.”

“Her fever is almost gone. And I’d like to keep it that way, so if you follow me, I’ll tell you what medicine she needs to take.”

Snow did not give her an opportunity to refuse. She just walked away and Zelena had little choice but to follow her to Regina’s bedroom. There, Robin was sitting on the bed, saying something to her sister that made her smile. The brunette acknowledged her, but said nothing else.

Snow told her about the medication hastily. It was easy enough to understand and neither of the women wanted to interact more than necessary. Later, Snow was more reluctant to leave Regina, as was Robin, but after some eternal minutes, they finally saw themselves out. And so, the sisters were alone again after spending almost a whole day where they have barely seen each other.

Zelena felt extremely self-conscious all of a sudden and she quickly looked for an excuse to get out of there.

“Uh... Are you hungry? I could make an early dinner if you want.”

As she spoke, she realised she had not eaten anything since the previous night. Yet, she did not feel really hungry.

“No, I don’t feel like eating at all,” Regina answered, opening her eyes. She was trying to act normal, but she looked tired.

“Shouldn’t you eat in order to take your medicine?” Zelena insisted, doubtful.

“Snow made me something earlier. You don’t have to stay here if you’d rather be doing something else,” she added, misunderstanding the ginger’s discomfort.

“No, no. I can keep you company if it doesn’t... I mean, unless you’d rather be alone.”

“Come on, Greenie. Take a seat.”

Regina smiled weakly and Zelena did not find it in herself to rebuke the nickname. Instead, she did as she had been told, sitting on a near armchair.

“Are you okay?” the brunette asked. “I think you look even worse than I do.”

“Well, thank you very much, sis,” she grumbled, but her mask slipped when she looked away. “Just glad you’re better.”

Zelena suddenly felt very grateful for the distance between the bed and the armchair —she needed it.

“What you said this morning...” Regina started hesitantly. “I’m really fine. It’s just the flu.” She received no answer and, after some seconds, she kept on. “Who was the one you lost? If you’d like to tell me, of course.”

Zelena felt tears well up in her eyes once more, but she made an enormous effort to keep her emotions in check.

“My mother,” she said simply. And then, she could not keep controlling her voice when, inevitably, she went on. “I felt useless then and I feel useless now. I didn’t know what to do to help her,” she confessed.

“I’m really sorry, Zelena.”

The redhead looked up and saw the blurry shape of Regina. She refused to shed a single tear, although the honest concern and sorrow in that short sentence was touching.

“But you’ve helped me,” the other woman continued. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you for getting Robin.”

“It was the only thing I could think of.”

“And you did well,” her sister insisted stubbornly. As Zelena offered no answer once again, she went on. “Talk to me. What have you been reading lately?”

The abrupt change of subject threw the redhead off and she needed a moment before starting to speak. She barely noticed that the strange feeling from earlier had disappeared as if it had never existed.

* * *

A few hours later, Zelena made a light dinner for Regina and some pasta for herself. The brunette’s fever was gone for the moment, but her body temperature was still on the verge of it. The redhead had thought it was clear what needed to be done, but her sister did not seem to think so.

“What are you doing?” the mayor asked rather startled when Zelena entered the room after having done the dishes and put on her pyjamas.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m staying here tonight,” she answered flatly as she made herself comfortable on the armchair.

“Excuse me? There’s absolutely no need.”

“I think there is. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find that your fever has shot up again. Snow would kill me.” The last line was delivered with a derisive tone as she downplayed the situation.

Regina scoffed, only for a yawn to overcome her right after.

“At least come and lie on the bed. It’s big enough for the two of us,” she said, evidently wanting nothing more than to put an end to the conversation.

“I’m not planning on sleeping.”

If Regina had had the strength, the redhead was sure she would have seen her roll her eyes right then.

“You’re being utterly ridiculous, Zelena, but you can keep being so comfortably.”

The former witch blushed, feeling more exposed than she had anticipated. She hesitated to move for some long moments, until she finally got up and slowly stepped closer to the bed. Regina shuffled away, leaving free half of it.

“Really, I don’t mind—” she tried one last time, but she could not even finish speaking.

“Get in, sis.”

Regina sounded exasperated, so she gingerly climbed into the bed and put the covers over her.

“Goodnight. Stop that nonsense and try to get some sleep, okay?” Despite her words, Regina’s voice was not angry. Zelena could actually have sworn she had heard a smile in it. She did not bother answering, though. She may have known nothing about the medicine of that world, but at the very least she could watch that Regina did not get worse during the night. Where that sort of sense of duty was coming from, Zelena was unsure, but given how weird she had been feeling all day, she would rather not question anything else.

Shortly after, the redhead could sense that her sister had fallen asleep. In the quiet of the night, she realised the tension of the afternoon had gone away without a trace. She stayed looking up at the dark ceiling for some moments, relishing the calm. Little by little, she noticed how tired she truly was. Her eyelids seemed to weigh a ton. She closed her eyes for an instant, only to open them moments later, startled. She was determined to stay alert all night.

She remained awake for about an hour or two before falling soundly asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience and support. A small vignette has been posted in _Imagine If..._: [A Fourteen-Year-Old Woman](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465270/chapters/50388284), set when Zelena was, well, 14 years old.


	7. Chapter 7

Regina woke up first. She felt much better than the previous day. Her head was clearer and she did not feel achy anywhere. She also felt warm and cosy, and not only because she was in her bed and had slept well. She realised she was in someone’s embrace and her arms were around a slender torso, too.

Lazily, the brunette opened her eyes and a mass of red curls greeted her. She was slightly bewildered until she remembered last night’s events and her sister’s stubbornness. She smiled fondly and relaxed right away. It was going to be somewhat embarrassing when they were both awake, but for the moment, she could enjoy this unusual awakening.

Barely a few minutes later, Zelena’s peaceful, semi-hidden face crumpled a little. Her eyes fluttered open and she needed a whole second to understand where she was. Regina knew the exact moment she did because her blue eyes went wide open and she shot upright.

“I... Damn, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay,” she cut her off neutrally, but she moved away and gave her a bit of space. “I told you you were being ridiculous.”

Zelena opened her mouth as if to excuse herself again. In the end, she closed it and straightened up, though. She wet her lips before speaking, hesitantly meeting her eyes.

“How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you.”

The redhead nodded —there was a kind of restrained anxiety in her. She scooted closer to the edge of the bed, quick to get out all of a sudden. Her gaze wandered around the room as she seemed to look for the right words. Sunlight filtered through the curtains and Regina could see she was blushing furiously.

“Do you want me to make breakfast?” she finally asked.

“Yes, please. I think I feel like having tea. Whatever kind you’re taking.”

Her sister nodded wordlessly once again and walked out of the room briskly. Regina bit back a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. She was tired of being sick.

* * *

Zelena wondered for the umpteenth time as she waited for the water to boil how much she could screw it up before Regina decided she had had enough. Hell, she could not even complete such a simple task as staying awake all night. She had never had trouble doing so, but that night she had felt unexpectedly comfortable. She had not even realised she was falling asleep. And to top it all, she had been hugging the brunette in her sleep. Truth be told, they had been hugging each other, but it still felt utterly embarrassing.

She had not really thought about it before getting into the bed —it was not in her plans that Regina would invite her—, but if she had, Zelena would have thought she would feel tense being so close to the other woman in such a vulnerable position. Nevertheless, as soon as she had sensed the brunette was asleep, her body had let go of what little tension it still had. It was completely disconcerting. Zelena was not used to feeling relaxed and safe in other people’s presence.

She should really stop pitying herself, though, she thought. She could not change what had happened. And while it made her feel ashamed and pathetic, it had just been a mistake without major consequences. Thus, when breakfast was ready, she steeled herself before going upstairs. She was dreading her next interaction with Regina, not knowing how much the other woman would press, but she was determined not to let her face betray this feeling.

Yet, her worry proved to be for nothing minutes later, since Regina did not say anything. She just thanked her for the food and so, Zelena could get out of there promptly to fix her own breakfast downstairs.

An hour later, as she finished washing the dishes, someone knocked on the front door. Not reacting straight away, she waited for somebody else to answer it. When she finally realised she was the one who had to do it, she hurried to dry her hands on a towel and left the kitchen fighting a blush.

She was tempted to look out the door glass to know who was out there, but the urge to project confidence won. She opened the door with no hesitation and found Snow White on the other side.

“Good morning, Zelena,” the short brunette said politely.

“What do you want?” she blurted out in reply, even though it occurred to her that maybe her sister had called her.

“I’ve come to see how Regina is doing.”

“She’s fine,” the ginger assured quickly. At once, she realised how defensive she had become and thought better of it. She stepped back and allowed Snow the entry, albeit reluctantly. “Well, I checked for fever earlier and she didn’t have any. She’s still feeling a little uneasy, though,” she clarified.

“Has she taken all her medicine?” Snow sounded rather surprised and Zelena matched her puzzlement when she answered affirmatively. Neither of them cared to elaborate any further.

As they arrived to the corridor, they ran into their stubborn patient, who had got dressed after clearly having had a shower. Zelena was about to ask her what the hell she was doing, but she bit her tongue. She would rather not start bickering with her sister in front of Snow.

“Should you be out of bed?” the younger brunette asked with a voice full of obnoxious concern.

“I feel fine,” Regina answered, even though she was paler than a ghost.

“Okay, you’d better go lie down before you pass out right on the spot.”

Regina began to protest as Snow led her to her bedroom anyway. Before entering, however, the former Queen turned around.

“Zelena, could you please bring me a glass of water?”

“Of course,” the redhead answered, nodding. She had a strange suspicion that her sister was making sure she did not duck out that time, though.

Indeed. When she brought the glass upstairs, Regina thanked her at the time she gave the armchair a significant look. Zelena complied, trying not to let her discomfort show. Snow was sitting on the edge of the bed and the ginger seemed the only one that found such a picture bizarre.

“You must’ve been really bad when you haven’t made a fuss to take your medicine,” the former princess teased Regina.

“What do I look like, a five-year-old?”

“Well, you’re cranky when you get sick.”

Zelena wished she could come up with a good excuse to get out of there. Their easy banter showed how well they knew each other and, for some reason, that made the redhead uncomfortable. She would rather not admit that feeling could also be called jealousy.

“And you’re making too much of this,” her sister went on.

“I’m just not used to you being sick.” Snow shifted a little, looking around. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine. We’re fine,” she added, stealing a glance at the ginger. “I know you must have things to do. I’m much better. You—”

Ironically, a cough attack overcame her at that moment. Snow frowned and quickly handed her the glass of water Regina had put down on her bedside table. As the cough came to an end, the older brunette let out a sigh and closed her eyes, lying down completely.

“How’s Henry?”

“Fine, worried about you. I told him he could come tomorrow.”

“I hope so,” said Regina, smiling.

Zelena stood up abruptly, feeling she could not stand another moment there.

“Excuse me,” she said, flatly.

She got out of the room and closed the door without waiting for an answer and without a look at the other women. A stupid wish crossed her mind: if only she could come back to the old, simpler times.

* * *

Even though if it did feel a little overwhelming at times, Regina appreciated the attention and caring. She and Snow had kept talking for a while after Zelena had gone out. She had wavered away Snow’s concern, saying her sister only needed a little time by herself. It seemed the younger brunette was more confident now of Zelena’s ability to take care of her. Regina could see Snow still did not trust the redhead, but it was all right —it had not crossed her mind to ask for more. Yet, Snow did not agree to go until it was close to lunch time.

“Tell Henry I miss him, okay? And that he can come tomorrow if I’m better.”

“I doubt I’ll be able to stop him again tomorrow,” the other woman chuckled. “We’ll call tonight.”

Snow left the door open and Regina could hear her and Zelena saying ‘Goodbye” to each other.

The mayor wondered if her sister would come back upstairs. However, after a few minutes, she decided she was tired of waiting. She pushed back the blankets and swung her feet out of the bed. She had to stop for a moment when her head spun at the sudden movement, though. She bit back a groan and went downstairs, first grabbing a robe because she felt unusually cold.

Zelena was reading in the living room, curled up with a blanket on the couch. Upon seeing her, however, she put down the book hastily and sat upright.

“Oh, damn. Did you need something?” she asked in a hurry, her blue eyes wide open.

Regina always had trouble reconciling this voice and expression with the ever-present contempt she had faced the first months after meeting her sister. Although it might also be a sign that her fever had come back, since it felt more surreal than ever.

She just shook her head lightly, easing herself down into an armchair and tightening her robe around her body.

“You shouldn’t—”

“Don’t even start, Zelena,” the brunette cut her off, not even opening her eyes to see the effect her sharp, albeit tired words had caused.

It shut up the redhead immediately, anyway, and Regina felt herself drifting off to sleep. However, a light touch on her forehead startled her out of it. She tensed at once, but the hand disappeared and, when she opened her eyes, it was just the redhead standing in front of her, looking more than just a bit nervous.

“You have a fever again. Are you cold? I could light the fireplace if you want,” she said, tearing her gaze away.

Regina forced herself to bite back a sigh and nodded. Like Robin, Zelena actually preferred to light the fireplace rather than switch on the heating. She knew it was something that felt familiar to them in a world full of new devices.

“I’m fine, just wanna sleep,” she insisted, though, closing her eyes. Within a few minutes, she was out.

* * *

When Regina woke up, she felt slightly better again. It was shown in the way she tried to avoid taking her medicine that afternoon. Zelena felt she was bribing her when she agreed to give her ice cream in exchange for taking them all, but she could not honestly bring herself to care.

At some point, Regina dozed off once more and the redhead put on a movie called _The Shining_ to fill the silence. She realised her mistake when the film became increasingly creepier. She managed to keep her reactions limited to strangled gasps and jumps, even when the sinister twins showed up. However, when the man drew back the shower curtains and the corpse appeared instead of the young woman that had been there moments before, Zelena could not help it —she screamed. Right away, she covered her mouth with both hands, but it was already too late. Regina’s eyes fluttered open as she looked around startled. Her brown eyes first went to the TV, then to Zelena and then, back to the TV. The redhead remained as still as she could, not knowing what to do but unable to tear her gaze away from the screen.

“Zelena? What on earth...” the brunette trailed off, utterly incredulous.

“It’s called _The Shining_,” she replied, peeking at the other woman briefly.

“I know what movie it is. I’ve watched it,” Regina stated, although it sounded as if she were saying ‘I just can’t believe this is really happening.’

Zelena jumped again as another scene took place and gripped her blanket harder.

“Why have you chosen a horror movie?”

“I didn’t know what it was about!”

“Why don’t you stop watching it, then?”

Regina’s voice was unnervingly calm. The redhead finally looked at her sister, matching her incredulity.

“I need to know how it ends!”

Regina sighed and Zelena thought she had just rolled her eyes, but the younger woman was already getting up and she could not be sure. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the brunette stepping closer and, moments later, she was curled up next to her on the couch.

“Just stop yelling, okay? I still have a headache.”

Zelena nodded without words, completely focused on the film once more. She froze when she felt her sister grabbing her hand ever so slightly. Nothing else happened, though, and she eventually relaxed again, holding on to it until the end of the movie.

After it was over, embarrassment washed over her as she realised how foolish she must have looked, getting afraid of a moving picture. She removed her hand from her sister’s, trying to pretend she had not been scared as she discussed plot lines with her. Thankfully, Regina played along.

She had another bad scare when, some time later, she was cooking dinner and Regina’s phone rang unexpectedly. It was still on the kitchen table, where Zelena had left it the previous day. She hesitated to pick it up, more so when she saw it was Snow White calling. However, she was alone downstairs, so she had no other choice. She gathered her courage and pressed the green button, taking the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Aunt Zelena? Hey.” Henry’s cheerful voice greeted her on the other end of the line and she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

“Henry, hi. How are you?”

“I’m fine. How are you two?”

“Regina’s better. She’s in bed right now while I make dinner. Do you want to talk to her?” asked Zelena, knowing the brunette would want to talk to her son even if she had to be woken.

“Yes, please.” As she climbed up the stairs, Henry spoke again. “So, how’s everything there?”

“Everything is fine,” she hurried to assure once more, although it was unlikely the boy was casting doubt on her assertion. “Pretty boring, actually. Haven’t got stories to share,” she added with a nervous huff that did not quite become a dismissive laughter.

“I’m sure Mom’s just happy to have someone around. I was.”

Zelena let a small, warmhearted smile show on her face since no one could see her. She entered Regina’s room and saw how the brunette’s expression brightened as soon as she said it was Henry on the phone. For a second, she wondered how Regina could shift from closing off completely to being so open with her emotions as it suited her.

“Hi, honey,” she said right away, in that impossibly warm voice she always used with her son. Zelena turned around to get out and give her some privacy, but she could still hear her answer to the first question Henry had fired. “I still feel a little under the weather, but the worst is over. Don’t worry, I’ll be perfectly fine tomorrow.”

Several minutes later, Regina actually showed up in the kitchen under the pretence of looking for her phone charger. Zelena was already putting her dinner on a tray, but she insisted she was well enough to eat in the kitchen with her. And for some time, despite her slightly croaked voice, she was. However, midway through dinner, she started to feel dizzy and unable to eat one more bite. The redhead helped her to reach her bedroom, saying she only needed some rest and making a good job of hiding her own worries.

As she made sure Regina would stay in bed, they heard someone knocking on the door. Zelena had no clue who could be so late and why, but Regina had an answer to that mystery.

“That must be Robin. I forgot to tell you he’d sent me a message saying he’d come by after putting Roland to bed.”

Zelena hid her surprise, because she had thought it odd that Robin had not visited earlier that day, but it did not seem more reasonable to drop by at that hour. She did not ask, though. Instead, she went downstairs to open the door.

A gush of cold air greeted her, together with Regina’s boyfriend.

“Hi. How’s she?” he asked as he hurried to get inside.

“She’s getting better. She’s taken her medicine and is resting now. Snow stopped by earlier and checked on everything.”

Zelena cut her rambling abruptly. It felt embarrassing to have given all those details without having even been asked, but she supposed it was better to get it out of her own accord than having to go through an interrogation.

Robin frowned slightly at her words, but it disappeared before she could make anything of it.

“Has she still got a fever?”

Zelena shook her head as she accompanied him upstairs. She was keenly uncomfortable, even though it was ridiculous. She should be used to feeling judged and she would do well to remember no one —apart from Regina and Henry, perhaps— saw anything in her remotely trustworthy.

They entered Regina’s bedroom and another smile lightened the brunette’s face when she saw Robin. Immediately, he sat on the bed next to her and took her hand, kissing her knuckles.

“I’ve heard someone’s feeling better.”

“What can I say? It seems no one’s letting me out of their sight while I’m like this.” On the surface, her voice was tinged with annoyance, but it was not hard to see the fondness deep down. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but it’s late. Who’s watching Roland?”

“I’ve left him with Little John. I’d like to spend the night here.”

His request shocked both sisters equally, but Robin was facing Regina, so Zelena was able to school her features before anyone noticed it.

“Robin, that’s... not necessary,” the brunette replied, after hesitating for just a second. “I’m fine, you don’t need to bother.”

“It’s no bother, milady. I’ll sleep better knowing you don’t get worse during the night. That’s it, if neither you nor Zelena mind it.”

Hearing her name, the redhead jumped slightly. She looked up and found Regina looking her in the eye thoughtfully.

“You could use a little rest tonight,” the brunette told her.

Although it did not sound like an order, she was not sure up to what point she could refuse. Not that she had any reason to argue, she immediately scolded herself. So she got up and, looking away, murmured a flatly ‘Of course.’

“I promise I’ll behave,” whispered Robin cheekily, eliciting a short laugh from Regina.

Zelena was about to leave the room when her sister spoke again.

“Have you even had dinner?” she asked Robin.

“No, but I’m all right. Don’t worry.”

“Go downstairs, make yourself something. We’ve already eaten.”

“It’s okay, love. I’m really not hungry.”

The redhead was already at the door. She almost managed to get away unnoticed, but then, Regina looked up from Robin and saw her.

“Zelena, could you please make something for Robin?” she asked, sighing. “Maybe heat up some lasagne from the other day?”

“It’s okay, I don’t need anything,” he insisted, but the two women paid him no attention.

“There isn’t any lasagne left,” Zelena answered, curtly.

The thief had picked up on the tension in her voice right away. Even if its true purpose was to hide her anxiety, he did well to take it as a warning —she would not let him make a fool of her.

“Could you please make something else, then?” When Robin opened his mouth to refuse again, Regina cut him off. “For God’s sake, Robin. I’m not going to leave you without dinner.”

The mayor started to sound annoyed, but Zelena’s own anger and shame were burning inside her. She had thought her sister was a perceptive person. Was she not realising the real reason why Robin did not want to eat? Or why he had gone through such trouble to make sure he stayed with Regina that night instead of Zelena? She might be earning Regina’s and Henry’s trust, but the former witch was not so stupid as to let herself believe everyone else was willing to trust her actions as well. He may even have talked to Snow. Perhaps the princess had seen some mistake while she had been there that had made him prefer to leave his son with someone else rather than leave Regina in Zelena’s care for another night. And yet, the brunette expected the redhead to cook for him. Her eyes burnt with tears that she did not want to show.

“He clearly doesn’t want to have dinner here. Stop insisting, Regina,” she snapped. Robin looked taken aback —he surely had not thought Zelena would expose his mistrust so clearly—, but her clouded blue eyes were not focused on him.

Her sister looked at her with a strange expression on her face for some long seconds, until a look of understanding slowly dawned on her. Suddenly, she rolled her eyes and looked like she wanted to do nothing more than lie down and close her eyes for several hours. Nevertheless, she held Zelena’s piercing glare.

“Sis, he’s not worried about you poisoning him. He’s just being polite.”

A heavy silence followed Regina’s flat statement. Zelena took a bit longer to process the information than Robin. He stared at her as the ginger paled, open-mouthed. She looked first at her sister and, then, at the former thief. His reaction seemed too genuine to think Regina was wrong —or lying. She had not the faintest clue about what to say next. Fortunately or not, Robin did.

“Did my words make you think so? It wasn’t my intention.” He made a pause, but Zelena still did not utter a word. “I just didn’t want to be a nuisance.”

At last, the redhead forced herself to answer.

“It’s okay. I... It’s okay,” she repeated stupidly, running her tongue across her lips to gain some time. “I’ll go to make something.”

She waited for no reply and got out of there as fast as she could.

Once alone in the kitchen, she allowed herself to breathe deeply and let go of her damaged mask. She felt terribly lost and could not calm herself down. She only wished for it —whatever it was— to pass. However, she heard footsteps approaching and cursed internally. She just wanted to be left alone, but once again, she was forced to compose herself quickly.

She spun around and saw Robin coming closer, cautiously.

“I came to help you,” he said, placating.

Perhaps she should apologise, but she had done far worse things, so she just shrugged and, turning around again, took out a plate from a cupboard.

“I didn’t mean to imply you sought to hurt me,” Robin explained again and Zelena huffed, because it was easier to act on that part of hers that only wished he would have stayed upstairs with her sister than on the one that was processing he cared about her feelings enough to have come downstairs. “I’m not going to say I trust you with my life, but I do trust Regina and her judgement.”

“I wouldn’t ask for more,” the redhead admitted quietly after a few seconds.

He sighed and she turned around to face him.

“Zelena, Snow and I haven’t come here to keep an eye on you. We’ve come because we care for Regina deeply. Sharing tasks is what family does.”

She had not the best track record when it came to sharing, but she did not tell him so. Instead, she faked a smile, trying to fool them both into thinking she had not displayed so much weakness that now it seemed he could easily read her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter, a diverging de-aging story takes place. It's around 28,000 words long, so I thought it deserved its own post rather than cram it into _Imagine If..._ For those of you interested, be sure to be on the lookout for a story called _An AU from an AU —aka Mini Greenie_ (not the most original title, I know, but I'm really bad at coming up with new ones once I've got used to them). Hopefully, I'll start posting it before the week ends.  
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you continue enjoying.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry you had to wait so long for such a short chapter. I'll try to update _Mini Greenie_ soon! In the meantime, feel free to come yell at me on Tumblr. =P  
Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this story and for leaving a comment whenever you can. Every single one makes my day.

Between being sick and catching up with all the work at the office, Regina had almost forgotten it was already time to get the house ready for Christmas. In fact, her son and Snow had to remind her one evening when the three of them, plus the baby, were at Snow’s apartment. They had agreed to go to Granny’s for dinner, but something had come up in the sheriff’s station and Emma and David were late.

“It’ll be our first Christmas all together,” said the younger brunette, her grin matching Henry’s.

Regina huffed as she tried to hide an inevitable smile by looking down at the baby on her arms.

“I don’t know why you two are so excited about the idea of that mess.”

“Thanksgiving wasn’t that bad, Mom.”

“Uh, are we going to... you know, meet at your place again?”

“And why not?” Regina retorted back briskly upon hearing hesitation in Snow’s voice.

“I haven’t said no,” the other woman grumbled, “but I’d thought that maybe we could celebrate it here, just us.”

Regina pursed her lips and bounced Neal a bit, so that the little one would not notice her stiffness.

“And what about Robin, Roland and Tink? And even the pirate. Have you thought of Emma?”

Snow let out an annoyed sigh, but did not give up.

“Then, we could join Granny’s celebration.”

The mayor’s eyes blazed with fury for an instant. She put off that fire, though, when she turned towards her son, who was watching the argument with wide open eyes.

“Henry, can you please take Neal upstairs?”

Right away, the boy crossed his arms and became offended.

“I’m not a kid anymore, Mom. I’ll stay.”

“You could,” Regina conceded, focusing hard on projecting calm, “but he can’t. I’m afraid I may start yelling and I don’t want to frighten him.”

It was an excuse Henry could hardly refute. Still unhappy, he agreed to take the baby and disappeared upstairs. When she turned towards Snow, she saw that the younger woman had the same stubborn expression. Regina barely managed to suppress an eye roll.

“It’s just one meal, Snow. Is it really so terrible to share one meal with my sister? She didn’t even open her mouth last time!”

“She hasn’t done anything to make up for what she did, either. Tell me, has she even apologised to you?”

Snow’s voice was unusually hard and the former Queen tightened her fist in an attempt to restrain her anger.

“I don’t remember asking for your forgiveness when you refused to give up on me,” she snapped back, coldly.

Deep down, Regina felt hurt, because if someone was to understand her giving Zelena another chance, it should be her stepdaughter. They knew each other so well that her words cut exactly as she had known they would. Snow let out another sigh, but when she spoke that time, her voice was lower, with a touch of defeat that made Regina hate herself for having put it there.

“I just want to fully enjoy my family with no other worry. I don’t understand why we never get a break.”

Regina chuckled bitterly, her fire all extinguished by then. She leant forward and, without thinking, reached out for Snow’s hand.

“I’d love a break from all the drama, too.” She paused, letting the levity settle. “I’m not going to leave my sister out, but I’d like not to miss anyone at the table that day.”

“Don’t worry,” Snow said, as she, too, held on to Regina’s fingers. “It’s not as if anyone could really argue with you. We’ll be there,” she added, finally looking up. Her smile was insincere, but the mayor would take what she could.

* * *

Henry was dying to tell Zelena about Christmas, so Regina let him. Her sister did not usually discourage whatever sparked the boy’s enthusiasm, even if it seemed completely bizarre. However, on that occasion, she was unable to hide how utterly baffled she was.

“Let me see if I’m getting this straight,” she started, cautiously, as she tucked her feet under her body. She glanced at Regina across the living room, who only answered by rolling her eyes. “We’re going to bring a tree inside the house and put coloured lights on it, so that Santa Claus can put presents under it on the night of the 24th.” Her puzzled voice made her affirmation sound more like a question.

“Well, Santa Claus isn’t real. Parents put presents under the tree and make little kids believe it was Santa,” Henry clarified.

Apparently, it did not help to put the redhead at ease, though.

“Just play along, okay?” Regina cut in. “It’s just another family holiday.”

“You seem to have quite a lot of those around here.” She was still bewildered, but ended up complying. “Okay, I’ll... How was that expression? Roll with it?”

Henry nodded, grinning and clearly pleased with himself. Regina basked in their little interaction, knowing it would be an interesting evening at the very least.

As they took boxes out of the attic —punctuated by Zelena’s somewhat indignant ‘So the tree isn’t even real?’—, the brunette called Robin to invite him and his son to come over. It would not be possible, though, as Roland had caught the flu. At Regina’s worry, Robin assured her his symptoms were not serious. Nevertheless, he would rather keep the child indoors.

She came back to the living room in time to see her sister peeking inside a box curiously as Henry told her the story behind some ornaments he had made years ago.

“Robin’s not coming,” she announced. “Roland’s gotten a little sick. So it’s just the three of us.”

She started to assemble the tree while Henry began to put out garlands, handling them to his aunt. The redhead looked mostly confused by what she had on her hands, but there was also a hint that Regina did not know whether to identify with plain nervousness or with fear. Once the tree was set up, she came closer and discharged her from her burden.

“We need to put the lights first,” she reminded her son.

Together, they taught Zelena how the Mills decorated their Christmas tree. Even though each time it was met with scepticism and underlying insecurity on her sister’s part, Regina thought they were all having a great time doing something different.

They chattered away all the while, until Regina and Henry ran out of stories of previous Christmas. Finally, they settled on the couch, in front of the fireplace. The lights were dimmed, so they could fully enjoy the flashy lights on the tree. Even the stubborn ginger had to recognise it looked beautiful and, in a way, explained the tradition itself. Regina made hot cocoa for all of them, willing to indulge a bit longer. Zelena was as relaxed as she had ever seen her. It was plainly written in the little smile her sister gave her, together with a whispered ‘thank you’ when she took her mug.

“So...” The redhead broke the silence, clearing her throat before going on. “Tell me more about this Santa Claus. Why do people insist on children believing he’s real?”

“It’s a way to make them believe in something. So that they grow up having faith in dreams coming true, you know?”

Zelena nodded, pensive.

“Also because it makes kids behave. It’s said Santa only brings presents to good kids,” Henry added, smirking slightly.

“Indeed, that’s a pretty good incentive,” Regina agreed, chuckling.

“So, uh... Everybody knows the truth, but nobody says anything?” she asked after sipping her drink. Clearly, she found it difficult to believe there were no people out there willing to shatter the illusion.

“Yeah. And that reminds me of something,” said Henry, suddenly becoming serious. “You can’t tell Roland. I’ve told him of Santa, saying he only exists in our world, and the kid’s very excited about his visit.”

A solemn ‘I promise’ was all her boy needed to be reassured and back to beaming again.

If Regina thought Christmas preparations could not get any more perfect, an idea from Henry proved her wrong the following morning.

They were both running a bit late —he for school and she for the mayor’s office. And yet, her son insisted on looking for something before leaving.

“Whatever it is, it can wait. School can’t,” Regina repeated for the umpteenth time, gathering all her patience. Zelena was observing them with eyes full of curiosity, wisely deciding not to intervene.

“Here it is!” Henry exclaimed at last. In his hand, he had their old camera. “Come on, get in front of the tree.”

“What? Can’t you do this at another time?” Regina replied, stunned.

“I’m going to Emma’s later and I don’t want to forget it. C’mon, Mom, it’ll be just a second.”

The brunette muttered something under her breath, but unsurprisingly, she complied. She almost snapped at Zelena when she saw her sister had not moved from her spot, but her son beat her to it.

“Come on, Aunt Zelena, you too. It’s our photo with the Christmas tree. It’s tradition.”

Still not very sure, the redhead slowly stepped closer, standing next to the brunette awkwardly. Henry set the timer and ran towards them, putting himself in the middle. He grabbed his mother’s hand and Regina squeezed back, happy beyond words because she was going to spend another Christmas with her boy.

“Smile!” he said.

A moment later, the picture was taken, but the hurry was mostly forgotten in favour of seeing the improvised portrait. Warmth invaded her heart when she noticed Henry was holding Zelena’s hand as well.

“You’re lucky you got dressed early this morning, sis,” the mayor told her, smirking.

The ginger blushed, but also rolled her eyes. Regina could not wait to know what her son was up to with that photograph.


	9. Chapter 9

“Aunt Zelena, wake up.”

She registered the touch on her shoulder first and so, the words went mostly unheard. She startled badly with one thought pounding in her head: someone had come close enough to touch her while she was sleeping. Besides, she had the unpleasant feeling that whatever she had been dreaming of would have left her quite shaky anyway.

Her first reaction was to sit up and try to get away, still somewhat asleep, until she saw her nephew’s clear eyes staring wide at her. She allowed her own eyes to close for a moment, wishing her heart would stop beating so loudly. Feeling safe did not always equal to fear vanishing at once.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Henry told her, his voice filled with regret.

“It’s okay. I think I was having a less than nice dream,” Zelena managed to reply, finally opening her eyes and trying to put on a convincing smile. She hoped it did not look very strained despite how dry her mouth felt —whether it was from the initial fright or from her alleged nightmare, she could not know. The last thing she wanted was to appear weak before his young eyes for something as silly as being waken up unexpectedly.

They heard soft footsteps outside the room and turned their heads towards the door, where Regina showed up a moment later.

“Is she already awake?” the brunette asked unnecessarily.

“Yep!” Henry replied in a light voice, getting up from where he had been sitting on the bed.

Being aware of the dimmed light that barely filtered through the curtains for the first time, Zelena looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was seven a.m., an odd hour to be awoken since that day was Christmas and they had already told her it was a holiday.

“Is there a reason for being woken at this hour?” she asked, getting out of bed anyway.

“Presents!” replied the boy, as if that would explain everything. And maybe, in that house and in that strange world, it did.

Both of them were standing in the corridor, waiting for her, so she hurried to put on a robe and, together, they went downstairs.

“If I must wake up at an ungodly hour, you don’t get away, either,” Regina elaborated. She did not seem upset about it, though.

“Well, I don’t really need my beauty sleep. I don’t know about you, sis,” retorted Zelena, smirking.

Her sister would surely have replied with a quip of her own, but they reached the living room and she let it go in favour of contemplating the scene. And so did Zelena.

The Christmas tree greeted them with its coloured lights on. Under it, there were a lot of presents. She had helped Regina to put some the previous night, but it actually seemed to the former witch that there were a few more that morning. Henry was the first one to come close to them, looking among the packages as if searching for something in particular. He finally picked up two, but instead of opening them, he walked up to his mother and aunt, handling them out to them. Regina took hers with a smile and a ‘Thanks, sweetheart.’ Zelena, however, had become paralysed all of a sudden.

“This is for you, Aunt,” he insisted.

Surely enough, her name was written on the flashy paper in Henry’s handwriting. She had the temptation to take a step back, even though the situation could not be further from posing a threat. She kept her face carefully blank and her voice emotionless when she spoke. And yet, it sounded soft enough to ruin her mask.

“I thought it was only for children.”

“It’s not,” Regina said gently. “That’s Henry’s present for you. You should open it.”

“Oh, of course.”

She finally took it from him. Soon, she knew it had been a mistake, because she could not hide her shaky hands as she unwrapped it. It was rectangular and sort of flat —mostly thin but with an irregular surface. When the paper was removed, she could only look at her gift for a second. Her gaze blurred as tears flooded her eyes. She put a hand over her mouth, muffling a shocked ‘Oh.’ She felt unable to breathe.

“Why don’t you sit down?”

The hint of concern in her sister’s voice was infuriating. Yet, a headshake was all Zelena could muster. She tried to tell them she was fine and a sob almost got out —she could not allow such a thing. So she kept trying to get a grip on herself in silence, until she realised how useless it was. Eventually, she ended up following Regina’s advice and sitting down on a chair nearby.

Then, she focused on regaining control over her breathing as she dried with her hand the couple of rebellious tears that had escaped down her cheeks. The silence felt stifling, so she broke it as soon as she was sure she could speak without crying her eyes out.

“Henry...” she whispered hoarsely, looking up at him. The whole scene did not feel so embarrassing if she made herself believe it was only her and her nephew.

“Did you like it?” he asked, clearly hesitant.

She attempted to smile, but it was probably the least convincing smile she had ever put on.

“Yeah. I... I...” She was completely speechless. She wanted to say how beautiful it was, to thank him, even to tell him why his gift was so important for her. However, she had to settle for another pathetic, “Yeah.”

“Go on, honey,” Regina suddenly cut in, encouraging her son and diverting the attention away from Zelena. “Open your presents.”

“You still have to open yours, Mom,” he reminded her.

The redhead barely looked up to watch Regina open it. It was a couple of DVDs belonging to that franchise they sometimes talked about.

“You need to catch up with the new Marvel movies,” said Henry, clearly excited. “They’re even going to air a show with the badass girl from _Captain America_.”

Zelena paid them no attention, absorbed in her own present. Her fingers ran once more over the framed photograph, where three people smiled in front of a Christmas tree. She felt her eyes fill with tears again —or perhaps, they had never dried.

“I love you, Henry.”

“Love you, too, Mom.”

There it was, possibly the easiest and most extraordinary of the interactions Zelena witnessed on a daily basis. She gazed up again, calmer after having taken several deep breaths. She wanted to thank them —to ask why they were so willing to share their perfect traditions and their perfect little family. And yet, she did not want to be the one who ruined the mood. So she got up, never letting go of the picture, to stand next to her sister. Together, they watched as Henry unwrapped his presents. Typical childish excitement had overcome him and Zelena found it easier to smile. That is, until Regina came closer to the tree and retrieved a small package. She gave the redhead no time to get ready. She walked back to where she was and, taking her free hand, put the gift on it.

“From me.” The brunette’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Zelena felt tears welling up in her eyes again, but she blinked them away. She had already been too emotional. She froze for a moment when she realised that, to unwrap it, she needed to let go of the picture. For some reason, she resisted, though. She knew she was being completely irrational, so she finally forced herself to put it down on the table.

Slowly, she removed the paper, disclosing a plain, black box.

“Open it,” Regina urged.

As she was about to do so, the thought that she had nothing for them came to mind. Even if she had known, she would still have had nothing, because she was locked in the house.

Aware of Henry watching them, she swallowed her emotions and pulled up the lid. She could not help being a bit startled by what she found inside the box, though.

It was a sapphire necklace with matching earrings. The precious stones were oval-shaped, but the silver frame surrounding them was thicker in a side and gave it the appearance of a circle.

It was beautiful, and certainly expensive. She looked at Regina and had the sudden, urgent desire to reject it. Her sister might have guessed her intentions, because she spoke first.

“Why don’t you two go upstairs to put away your stuff and get dressed? We still have to make some cookies.”

Regina did not wait for a reply, although before turning around, she did put her hand briefly on Zelena’s arm. The redhead did not manage to speak up until the younger woman was walking away.

“Wait!” Her voice sounded nervous, high-pitched, and it did not help that it made mother and son focus their gazes on her. “Thanks. For the presents.”

Regina replied with a ‘You’re welcome’ and even managed not to sound smug. Zelena must have looked ridiculous, letting her emotions get the best of her. And yet, it seemed even the mayor would not make fun of her while she was feeling so weak. Henry only asked her to help him carry his presents upstairs and, truthfully, she would not have expected otherwise from him.

She went with the boy upstairs, telling him she would take a shower and meet them in the kitchen later. After some hesitation, she decided to put the framed photograph on her bedside table. She still thought the captured scene looked surreal every time she observed it. She sat on the bed and gazed at the jewels in the box again. Anger and frustration were odd feelings to be having at the moment, but she supposed they were better than the confusion and weakness that had overcome her earlier. She told herself she truly wished they would act normal and leave her the hell alone.

She closed the box lid forcefully and strode into the bathroom. The shower did not help much to calm her nerves, for she stubbornly refused to let her guard down. She dressed casually, as Christmas dinner was still many hours away.

Downstairs, in the kitchen, Henry and Regina had already fixed breakfast and he was helping himself to some pancakes as the ginger entered. She took a seat, even though she did not feel hungry. However, when her sister asked her whether she would like coffee or tea, she got up at once. She did not stand the idea of the brunette giving her anything else at the moment.

“Don’t bother. I’ll serve myself.”

Regina’s initial confusion quickly became a warning frown, so Zelena looked away and did her best to change her sulking expression.

Breakfast resembled a little the first meals they had had, with Regina and Henry doing all the talking. Meanwhile, the redhead was wondering if claiming a headache would get her away from having to stay and make cookies. Suddenly, aphone rang, breaking all trains of thought.

By the instant smile the brunette got when she answered, both Henry and Zelena guessed right away it was Robin. The boy made an exaggerate face to his aunt, which elicited a smile from her almost against her will. They could not know what the conversation was about by Regina’s affirmative answers, though, so they had to wait for it to be over.

“It was Robin,” the former Queen said unnecessarily once she hung up. “He asked if he could bring Roland already.”

Indeed, the Locksleys showed up a few minutes later, when the Mills had finished their breakfast. Regina had started to cook more pancakes, though, so she went to greet them quickly and led them to the kitchen right away.

“You’ve arrived just in time for pancakes,” she told them, smiling.

It seemed impossible to make the bouncing child any more excited, but those words managed to. The mayor made more coffee and tea and Henry sneaked another pancake as Roland happily dug into his. Zelena had to admit sitting through a second breakfast with them was not as hard as she had imagined, but even so, she took the first chance she saw to get out of there.

It happened as the newcomers were finishing their food. Robin whispered something to Regina’s ear discreetly. She gave him a radiant smile and got up, leaving the kitchen without so much as a word. Henry frowned slightly, but then the former outlaw winked at him and the boy said nothing, either. Zelena had no clue where her sister could have gone, but she knew it would be easier to get away without her there. However, just as she stepped into the hall, she found Regina walking to the living room carrying several packages in her arms.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I...” Zelena looked upstairs, hoping it would save her from having to give an explanation.

“I understand Henry may decline cooking in favour of playing with Roland,” the brunette stated calmly. “What’s your excuse?”

“You don’t need me to do that. You have Robin.” Her voice was firm, but her cheeks were bright red.

“I also have you,” was the quick retort.

Regina tightened her lips as if to stop herself from adding anything else. She turned around and entered the room, leaving Zelena hanging. Frustration compelled her to follow her sister to the living room, where she was putting the packages next to the rest of presents under the tree.

“What are those?” the redhead asked, vaguely gesturing towards them. For a moment, her curiosity made her forget what she was so worked up about.

“Robin’s presents for us,” Regina replied, getting on her feet. “Come on, let’s tell Roland he can finally come and open his.”

Once again, she followed her younger sister, although she could not give a reason why she had not acted on her wish when no one had really stopped her.

She watched Henry and Roland open their gifts first. Then, it was the couple’s turn —their crossed gazes told more loudly than Zelena would have wanted that they would need some private time later on. When it seemed it was over, she saw Henry whisper something to Roland, pointing at a particular package. At once, the little boy got up, picked it up and ran to the red-haired woman.

“Zelena, this is for you!”

It was so unpredictable she could not hide her shock. She might have stepped back, but Roland’s big eyes were gazing at her and they froze her on the spot. She went down on her knees almost instinctively, taking the present from his hands as she hesitantly tugged up the corners of her mouth.

“Thank you, Roland.”

She slowly started to remove the paper, all the while praying she would not repeat the earlier scene. It was a book, _White Fang_ by Jack London. As touching as the gesture was, thankfully it did not elicit any more tears from her.

“I’ve got books, too!” Roland told her, beaming.

“They’re a good present, aren’t they?” she simply said in return.

When the children went out to the backyard to play with their new toys, Zelena decided to give some privacy to the other two and went to tidy up the kitchen. They rejoined her a while later and the three adults, following Regina’s instructions, baked the promised treat in addition to some dessert for that night. The brunette had finally told them what dessert she had in mind, smiling mischievously all the while. It got a chuckle out of Robin and even Zelena smirked upon hearing the former Queen would bake apple pie. The children were only convinced to get inside when cookies were done.

“They need to cool off,” chided Regina when both Henry and Roland reached out to take a cookie from the baking sheet right away. Yet, in the end, they all tasted some while they were still hot. And it did not matter, in Zelena’s opinion —they were delicious.

The Locksleys stayed for lunch and Robin insisted on cleaning afterwards. Regina offered to help, so Zelena could take some time for herself, which she felt it was very much needed. They did convince her to go down and watch a movie called _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ with them. She was afraid it would be another horror movie, but to her relief, it turned out to be greatly enjoyable.

As credits rolled up and everyone got up to start setting the table for the Christmas dinner, someone knocked on the front door. Regina opened it, greeting Snow and Charming. She was carrying the baby and he had some bags containing presumably food and presents. Outside, it had started to snow and the couple was careful when they stepped in the mansion.

“We’ve decided to comer earlier to help set up everything,” Snow explained.

“Should we be worried about food poisoning with you cooking?” Regina teased her, pointing with her chin at the bags.

“Not our style,” the former prince answered dryly. “Besides, it’s me who’s cooked. Emma and Snow only helped.”

“Oh, I suppose I can trust the shepherd’s skills.”

David did not seem to take offense in the banter and chuckled briefly in response. Before they would all disappear into the kitchen to put away the bags, Zelena caught up with Regina.

“I’m going upstairs to get dressed up.”

“Oh, okay.” The brunette looked down at her own clothes. She had a pretty outfit on, but it was obviously not what she had planned to wear for Christmas dinner. “I guess I should do the same soon.”

Zelena nodded, leaving her sister to deal with her family and going to her room. She knew she had almost two hours until dinner, although she also knew she should go out before. She took her time choosing her clothes for the event —a light gray dress—, dressing up and applying her make-up. She did her hair in a half up-do and, after hesitating for a while, she decided to wear the jewellery Regina had given her.

The brunette was not downstairs when she got there. The table was set up, so everyone was in the living room, chatting with one another. She immediately saw that Tinker Bell had already arrived. The blonde fairy was talking to Snow and Henry —Roland was attached to Regina’s son as usual. Still, when Tink saw Zelena entering, she came closer to greet her.

“Hi, how are you doing?” She seemed as bright as ever.

“Fine. You?”

“Better than in Thanksgiving. It seems the ‘terrifying your secretary’ period is over.”

Tink laughed briefly at her own joke, but after that, an awkward silence fell over them. The blonde’s arrival might have saved Zelena from fidgeting in a corner on her own, but she was still wary of others’ presence. Her blue eyes wandered around the room and, even though no one seemed to be paying them any attention, she could not help feeling observed. Eventually, her gaze returned to the fairy in front of her and she was startled to find the other woman looking back at her knowingly. Being caught glancing nervously at her surroundings only made her wish to break the silence as soon as possible, so of course she muttered the first stupid thing that crossed her mind.

“So... Regina’s never told me how you two met.”

At once, she realised what she had asked and opened her mouth to take it back. However, Tinker Bell spoke first.

“Oh. Uh... It was many years ago. She’d recently... uh, married the king, but she was already deeply unhappy. That’s why I showed up. I believed I could give her a happy ending.”

“Obviously, you didn’t succeed.” Zelena shut up abruptly —she had not meant to say that out loud. Her poor interactions with the fairy so far were not helping to calm her nerves. Thankfully, the petite blonde did not take it badly.

“Obviously.” She sighed. She did not look so bright anymore, though. “Things ended badly, but we got along very well at the beginning. I don’t know if I should tell you the details —they’re very personal. But then again, everything in our story is personal.”

Zelena shifted her weight from one foot to another. She felt uncomfortable talking about it, but she also felt a great curiosity. She was aware as well that it was a unique chance to understand Regina.

“I know some things,” she finally admitted. “I didn’t see you, but I know she was unhappy at the time. She lived in a castle, was a queen, had Rumplestiltskin teaching her magic and, still, she didn’t enjoy her life. I just couldn’t understand why.”

“She was trapped. It could’ve seemed like a perfect life, but it was a prisoner’s one. She didn’t get to decide anything.”

It was difficult to imagine Regina submitting to anyone, but Zelena remembered the bright, unrestrained smile every time the young Queen accomplished something and the innocent frustration every time she failed. It was a far cry from the authoritative figure she would eventually become.

“But she could’ve run,” argued Zelena, easily going back to the old arguments. She would never have guessed having that conversation with a friend of her sister’s, but Tink looked like she did not mind answering her questions. “Cora wasn’t in the picture and she had magic.”

“And where would she have run, with a royal army after her?” the blonde asked gently. Then, she pursed her lips, considering whether to go on or not. “I was the first one to show Regina her soulmate. She met him before giving into darkness and yet, she didn’t take a chance with him. She told me why, years later, in Neverland. She was too afraid of having a weakness once again. Cora taught her love was weakness and that’s a lesson that didn’t go away easily.”

“Still, it’s not as if she couldn’t have escaped her life. I was trapped within my fate —apparently, she was not,” the redhead insisted, although it was not the first time she wondered whether Regina had eventually been able to overcome her destiny simply because she was stronger than Zelena.

“We all have choices, so I’m not going to justify Regina’s crimes. But those unhappy younger years weren’t her fault. She was so scared by the lessons life had taught her that she couldn’t even take her few chances at happiness. I think it’s sad, but anyway, I’m very glad she’s finally finding her way back.”

The ginger was saved from answering by the very subject of their conversation. Regina entered and they greeted her innocently. She seemed to suspect nothing. Hook and Emma arrived shortly after and they all opened presents once more. Zelena was surprised to receive some as well, but she made a better job of hiding it that time —even when the Charmings, namely Snow, gave her a purple shawl, which was more than she would have expected. Tink gave her a little device called MP3, which she explained was a portable music player.

“Tell Henry to show you some music from this world. It’s amazing,” the petite blonde told her, smiling.

While she observed them, she analysed the interactions among the different members of that family, since Christmas traditions were not the only foreign element for her. She saw Emma and Regina fussing over Henry, Roland being scooped up by his father as he let out a delighted cry and David and Snow opening Neal’s presents before him even though he would never remember it. They were all different kinds of family, but in their eyes the same love for their children could be seen.

Jealousy gnawed at her, knowing she had not experienced any of what she was witnessing. And yet, she gulped and put on a smile, wanting to believe the part of her that said its bites did not hurt so much anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may have realised the chapter count has increased one chapter. Just an idea I started writing last year and finally resumed —and finished!— this weekend. For the time being, I hope you enjoyed a very Christmas-y chapter. In the next one, we'll see the actual aftermath of the Christmas dinner.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of early Christmas spirit. ;)  
Also, I just realised today, ages after writing this fic, that Tink's full name is two words and not one. *facepalm* At some point, I'll go back and edit the previous chapters, but for now, I'll just make sure to get it right in future chapters.

Dinner ran perhaps a bit more smoothly than Thanksgiving. Nobody was on edge and, albeit brief, even Zelena struck up a conversation with both Henry and Tinker Bell, who were sitting next to her. The meal went on for hours as it kept snowing outside. Henry taught carols to Roland and all of them had a laugh when the little one tried to wrap his mind around some of the silliest lyrics. There were some toasts, much banter and the delicious moment when Regina carried the apple pie to the table. The ginger allowed herself to enjoy the atmosphere as if it were a dream.

It was already late and Roland was falling asleep in spite of his desperate attempts to stay awake and keep playing with Henry. The Charmings had the truck, but the Locksleys and Tink had no means of transport, so Regina offered them a ride. Snow told her they would wait for her to come back before leaving.

At another time, Zelena might have taken it as her cue to go to her bedroom, but she felt comfortable and chose to stay with her nephew and wait for her sister, too.

All of them were in the living room, where the fire was dying down little by little. The adults sipped their glasses of cider while Henry looked through one of his new comic books. After a few minutes in silence, Emma nudged her son and broke the quiet.

“You know, kid. This reminds me of that Christmas we were coming back from Hartford and got snowed in at the motel.”

“Yeah.” Henry’s smile was a bit strained, as if he had too many emotions to put them on a single gesture. “Those memories are really nice, even if they’re only in our heads.”

As much as he talked about the missing year in New York, he never talked —at least with his aunt— about the fake memories Regina had given him and Emma. Zelena’s curiosity was bigger than her good sense and she could not bite her tongue.

“So that never happened, did it?”

She had just wanted to check, but soon it became clear it was not the best thing to say. Henry only buried his head back in his book, so that no one could see the expression on his face. Emma tightened her grip on the glass for a moment and her lips formed a thin line, but she said nothing. Snow answered, though.

“They have memories of the same things, so it’s like they did actually happen.”

Unexpectedly, those words hit a nerve and all serenity abandoned the redhead.

“It’s not,” she snapped back. “They could’ve happened if Emma hadn’t given up Henry, but she did. And so, the woman he’s got real memories of Christmas with is Regina.”

She did not even realise how angry she was on her sister’s behalf, she just believed Snow’s words to be an attempt to dismiss what had really happened. The brunette did not back down, matching the outraged tone. Neither of them saw the blonde trying to put a hand on her mother’s arm to stop her from going on.

“Emma had no other choice. She just wanted to give him his best chance.”

It was the last straw for Zelena.

“Why are you so sure that abandoning your children to the charity of random strangers equals to their best chance? You’re all full of...” The redhead tried to calm herself down, but she could not bite back a final retort filled with venom. “You only want to delude yourselves into believing you did the right thing.”

The deadly silence that followed did not last long. The blonde saviour got up from the couch very slowly and, although Hook and Charming stepped forward, she did not give them a chance to cut in.

“Is the Wicked Witch trying to give us a moral lesson?”

Her voice was cold and calculated and Zelena hated to admit that the reminder stung much more than it should have. She knew a new attack was expected from her, but she hesitated to deliver it and Henry took his chance to jump on his feet all of a sudden, putting an end to that madness.

“Enough!” he yelled. His voice was full of emotion, but his eyes were as clear as ever. “You’re all wrong. I have two moms, that’s it. I treasure my memories with both. And she’s not the Wicked Witch anymore. You told me people can change and we need to support them, not bring them down. I don’t want us to repeat the same mistakes we made with Mom.” He paused for a second to take a deep breath and kept talking more calmly. “She’s going to be home soon, by the way, so we’d better pretend this never happened. She brought us together here and I don’t want to ruin that.”

After his little speech, the boy looked drained, as if he wanted nothing more than to storm out —and so did Zelena. However, he sat on the couch again and, shortly after, Emma followed him. He put his head on her shoulder and they looked like two knights exhausted after a long battle.

The following fifteen minutes passed in a dense silence, until Regina arrived. If she noticed the tension, she said nothing. They said their goodbyes, some sharper than others, and the brunette and Henry walked them to the door. When only the three of them were left in the house, the boy did not follow his mother into the living room, where Zelena had stayed. He said he was tired and, with a smile and an ‘I love you,’ he kissed his mother goodnight and ran upstairs. Right away, Zelena felt the unmistakable weight of guilt.

Regina came into the room, unusually light-hearted. She went to the cabinet and put a cider glass for herself. As she came closer to refill Zelena’s glass, the redhead finally managed to react. She put it down and wet her lips.

“No, I’m... I’m going upstairs.”

“You too?” her sister asked, surprised.

“No. J— Just for a moment. I need something. I’ll be right back,” she said nervously, already knowing and dreading what she must do.

“Okay. I’ll wait for you here. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Zelena nodded absent-mindedly and turned around. She went upstairs slowly, hesitating. Maybe she should not be doing that after all. Not without consulting Regina first, certainly. Not behind her back. She had no right. And yet, she reached the top of the stairs and knocked on Henry’s door.

A few seconds passed before she heard his voice.

“Mom?”

“No, it’s Zelena,” she whispered, not wanting to risk Regina overhearing.

There was no immediate response and the ginger leant a little against the door. The thought that he would not allow her entry should have crossed her mind, but it had not. Finally, after a couple of tense seconds, he spoke.

“Come in.”

She opened the door to find the boy sitting on his bed, with his closed fairy tale book next to him. For a moment, she was about to say she would leave if he wished, but she gulped and swallowed any words born out of her own insecurity. She had arrived with a purpose and would fulfil it even if she had to gather up all her courage to face her nephew.

She closed the bedroom door after her and stepped forward. She did not dare sit on his bed, though. She chose to slightly perch on the windowsill, letting her gaze wander before starting to speak.

“Are you okay?” It was not the way she had planned to start the talk, but those were the first words that slipped out of her tongue.

“Fine,” he shrugged, not looking her in the eye.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel like this.”

She could not control what came out of her mouth, although it did not matter so much —her wish to explain herself was stronger. Henry shrugged off her comment again, but then a thought seemed to cross his mind.

“You haven’t said anything to Mom, have you?”

“I haven’t,” assured Zelena, shaking her head for good measure, “but I think she should know.”

Henry refused once more and they fell silent. The redhead did not know how to bring up her point.

“I shouldn’t have said those things,” she admitted at last. That time, it was she who would not meet his eyes.

“It wasn’t your place to say those things to Emma. She’s also my mom, I love her.”

“I know,” she breathed. She could not remember being more ashamed in her entire life.

“Some people do have good intentions, Auntie.”

The endearment brought tears to Zelena’s eyes. She kept looking down and nodded wordlessly. Henry sighed and he sounded more tired than a child of his age should be.

“It’s okay. Everybody makes mistakes.”

“No, it’s not,” the redhead said in a broken voice. Tears kept welling up in her eyes and she could not help it. “My actions aren’t mistakes. I’m sorry, Henry.”

Her last sentence had been barely a whisper and she started to doubt the boy had heard her at all when he offered no reply. She swallowed and steeled herself to continue their conversation nevertheless —although she still refused to look up.

“I’ve done terrible things. I’m really wicked, Henry. You shouldn’t dismiss it so easily.” She finally gathered her courage and gazed up, because she did not want to see his reaction, but he had a right to look in her eyes and know she was telling the truth. “I’ve done horrible things to you and your family and I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I...” She was finding it difficult to keep putting so much honesty into words. “I deeply regret having threatened you. And... I also led to Neal’s death. You don’t deserve so much pain. And it’s my fault.” The boy remained silent and she could not help adding another pathetic, “I’m sorry.”

The silence stretched and Zelena dried with her sleeve the few tears that had escaped. Henry was not looking at her anymore and she thought perhaps it would be better if she left him alone. She had not lied —she did not expect her apology to be accepted.

She got up, biting back a sigh. However, as she passed by him, the boy looked up and caught her sleeve. And then, he slid his hand until his fingers held onto hers. It was a light touch, but it froze the redhead.

“I forgive you.” He spoke as she had, hardly over a whisper.

“What?” Zelena was so shocked that almost stepped back and lost her touch with her nephew. At first, she was speechless and, then, all her words tumbled out in a rush. “Henry, what I did to you... I can never make up for it. You don’t have to forgive me. I didn’t came here for—”

“I know,” he cut her off. “I’m still choosing to forgive my aunt and move on.”

He sounded like himself once more —confident in his beliefs and actions. Zelena did not know what to reply. Nothing came to mind and his clear gaze piercing into hers was not helping.

“Well, uh... Thank you. Get some rest, okay? It’s been a long day,” she managed to mumble awkwardly. He smiled at her, though, as if she had said the right thing, and that encouraged her to smile back. Tentatively, she squeezed his hand and got out, feeling lighter than she could ever remember.

She had almost reached her bedroom when she remembered Regina’s request. That time, she did let out a deep, long sigh as she began to descend the stairs. She hoped the brunette did not mean to talk about anything too serious, because she was looking forward to getting some rest herself.

In the living room, her sister was blankly staring at the television while she sipped her cider. She came back to reality when she noticed the redhead, though, and lightly patted the spot next to her on the couch. Zelena sat down, albeit a little puzzled by Regina’s intentions.

“What did you want?” she asked, wanting to get it over with.

The brunette took a last sip and put the glass down, turning to her sister. She looked slightly nervous, or maybe excited.

“Give me your hand.”

Even more baffled, Zelena, who had grabbed the cider bottle to pour some for herself after all, held out her free left hand without thinking.

“The other one,” insisted Regina.

Now she felt more distrustful, but she put the bottle down and held out her right hand. Her sister pulled back her sleeve and it took the former witch a second to understand what was going on.

“What the bloody hell are you doing?” She let out a high-pitched scream as she hurried to take back her hand and surround her wrist —and the cuff—with her fingers.

The redhead could have sworn Regina had tried to take it off. She could just not fathom why.

“Calm down and stop yelling,” the brunette said through her teeth. Then, she took a deep breath and went on more calmly, almost detached from the whole situation. “Consider this my Christmas gift to you. I know the cuff isn’t healthy, especially for long periods of time.”

Zelena did not even stop to reflect on the absurdity of Regina wanting to remove the cuff as a Christmas present, as if she was not already wearing _her_ Christmas presents.

“I’m fine. I don’t need you to take it off,” she said instead, before the mayor could keep talking. The redhead felt on edge, ready to jump on her feet at any time.

Suddenly, Regina’s expression changed drastically. She narrowed her eyes and sat upright.

“What are you up to?” Her voice was not exactly cold, but it had lost her previous warmth.

“What?” Zelena croaked incredulously. She finally stood from the couch and stepped back instinctively.

“Why wouldn’t you want to get rid of it?”

Regina got up as well and took a step forward, measuring each move. The redhead gulped as she noticed the calculated look in her dark eyes. She realised how long it had been since the last time her sister had looked at her like that, finding out she had not missed it at all. She felt as she had lost something and she could not pinpoint what.

“I’m fine,” she repeated nervously. “Can’t we leave things as they are?”

Against her will, her voice had become pleading. Yet, it may have made Regina relax ever so slightly.

“Not until you tell me a reason. And it’d better be a good one,” the brunette insisted, though.

Zelena gulped again, trying to swallow the lump in her throat that was stopping her from uttering a single word. She looked around the living room, knowing it was in her best interests to be honest with Regina. She could not find the courage to do so, though.

“I’m not up to anything,” she mumbled at last. “It’s just... Things are easier with it on.” The other woman looked at her, clearly failing to figure out the reasons why that would be so, and the redhead huffed. “I don’t want to turn green again. Or wicked, for that matter.”

She rushed her last line and wanted to curse herself for her weakness when she felt tears prickling her eyes. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Although she did not particularly want to know how much she had messed up the day, she risked a blurry glance at her sister. The brunette was looking back at her with understanding in her eyes and something soft —something too similar to pity to Zelena’s liking.

“Honestly, sis, that’s—” The redhead just shook her head, not wishing to find out Regina’s opinion just then. The mayor sighed and relented. “Okay, maybe I’m rushing things and it’s too soon. I won’t take it off. Just... calm down, all right?”

Zelena nodded wordlessly, forcing herself to keep her head up. How she wished she would not have tied her hair up, so she could partially hide her face behind her red locks. The mayor sat again and picked up her glass of cider, but the ginger did not follow her.

If Regina knew what had happened barely an hour ago, she would never have considered taking the cuff off. Truthfully, Zelena had never thought the cuff would be removed anyway. And yet, her sister had thought about it. Only her own fear had stopped it from happening. The redhead would actually have preferred to tell her about the incident with the Charmings, so that she could have avoided having to be honest about her reasons. However, she had assured Henry she would not say a word and, thus, it was out of question. In any case, she had succeeded in making Regina desist.

If she had tried to convince herself at the moment that she deserved what her sister had had at any point in her life, she could not have managed.

She murmured something to excuse herself and ran away to the safety of her room —even though the monster she was running away from was within herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, looking forward to knowing your thoughts on it!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're officially halfway through this story! I just realised this series is over 100k words now. In celebration, I'm thinking of opening up prompts for things you'd like to read —one-shots set in this universe that I could post on _Imagine If..._, perhaps? I'm not sure if there will be anyone interested, but you can let me know in the comments below or send me an ask on [Tumblr](https://ailec-12.tumblr.com/ask).  
As always, I hope you have fun reading. =)

Zelena woke up late the next day. Or rather, she woke up at the usual time but refused to get out of bed for a long, long while. Embarrassment and guilt weighed her down equally and she felt unable to face Regina. Nevertheless, when the sun was finally high in the sky and her stomach had grumbled for the umpteenth time, she could no longer delay it. Sighing, she got up and, putting on a robe, went downstairs. There was no one there, though.

Slowly, the redhead walked from the kitchen to the living room. Once she had checked both were empty and silence seemed to fill every corner of the house, she decided to call out.

“Regina?”

Despite her voice’s tentativeness, it reached her sister. Zelena heard the click of high heels and, shortly after, the door to Regina’s office opened.

“About time,” she complained. Despite her greeting, the mayor did not sound upset at all.

“I didn’t know if there was anyone home. I haven’t seen Henry.”

Regina stepped out and they headed to the kitchen together.

“He was supposed to go to the Snow’s at midday, but a friend called him and he went to her house right after breakfast. A bunch of them are going to have a sleepover from very early in the morning,” she explained, smirking. The brunette started to boil water for coffee and tea and Zelena truly felt as if last night had merely been a bad dream. “I would’ve liked to spend the morning after Christmas with him, of course. And I’m sure Emma’s looking forward to having him over for a few days, too. He never asks things like this, though, so of course we both said yes.” There was something odd in Regina’s voice that made the redhead keep her mouth shut. Several moments later, she went on. “I’m so glad he has friends despite... well, everything.”

Zelena felt a tight knot in her stomach upon hearing her sister’s words. She remembered what she had said on the same topic several months ago. The ginger had not thought about it then, but at the moment she knew Regina had no motives to feel guilty about it.

“It’s not so strange, is it? He’s very friendly, you’ve seen him with me. He seems a happy child,” she commented.

“I somehow doubt he got that from me.” Regina tried to downplay her own words, but they were bitter.

The brunette turned away from the water waiting to boil and Zelena looked her in the eye as she frowned.

“Why? We had the house full of people last night because of you.”

The earnest chuckle she earned from Regina spooked her. She was used to getting smirks and sarcastic smiles out of her, but not genuine laughter. Perhaps it was her mood improvement what kept the bitterness out of her next words.

“Full of people I hurt first,” she reminded her sister softly.

The straightforward admission rendered Zelena speechless for a second. She occupied herself by picking up a couple of mugs and, by the time she put them down on the counter, she had already made up her mind.

“Not me,” she whispered, looking down. She had never thought she would confess it to anyone, but she had Henry’s words from the previous night still fresh, as well as Regina’s gesture. And hell, she was not going to let the brunette pity herself. She hated that. “I did feel like I had a personal vengeance against you, but you didn’t know me and had no reasons and still... You let me live here and meet your friends.” She gulped and shut up, already regretting having opened her mouth at all.

When there was no immediate answer, Zelena risked glancing up. It seemed the mayor was going to step forward, but the kettle whistled loudly, giving them both a scare. As she turned off the stove, Regina said,

“That’s what a second chance takes.”

There were so many wrong things with that statement in Zelena’s opinion that she did not even know where to start —and much of what she would like to say, she lacked the bravery to do so. Nevertheless, the brunette kept on after a pause as she poured a cup of Zelena’s favourite tea.

“Anyway, I’m just learning to have friends myself. If there’s something I know, though, it’s that trying to selfishly keep people close doesn’t work to create healthy relationships.”

“I wouldn’t know,” the redhead admitted softly, accepting the cup. “I never had any friends.”

“Never?”

Even though Regina’s voice was more bewildered than accusatory, Zelena impulsively lifted the cup to her face —and promptly burnt her tongue when she took a sip. Once she had recovered, she shook her head, still avoiding eye contact as they sat at the kitchen table. She opened a package of cookies and took one, biting it with no real appetite.

“According to Snow and Charming, Glinda said you used to be friends,” her sister added.

Zelena almost choked on the cookie. After a brief coughing fit, she dragged her gaze up, surely looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

“You know about Glinda?”

It occurred to her that it must have been how they had learnt about the power her pendant held.

“Only that,” Regina replied, lightly. She should have noticed the colour draining from the redhead’s face, but if she did, she gave no sign of it. “Also, that you were the more powerful of the two and banished her.”

Zelena looked down again, letting go of the cookie and feeling overwhelmed by unpleasant memories. She remembered how she used to compare the chances she had been given by Regina and Glinda. At present, however, she saw nothing but differences between the brunette and the blonde. And she really had no wish to discuss the latter with anyone.

“Yes, well, it wasn’t exactly like your friendship with Tinker Bell.” Desperately, she looked for something to say that would shift the focus away from her. “What about you? Did you have any friends before becoming queen or meeting the fairy?”

It was Regina’s turn to look away.

“Daniel,” she breathed, her voice barely over a whisper. Then, she seemed to put herself together and searched for Zelena’s eyes before going on. “He was our stable boy and, soon, he became my best friend. Sometimes, I’m not sure I could’ve survived that time of my life without him. And there was Rocinante as well, of course.”

Regina’s voice was still tinged with sadness, but there was a sort of light in it, too, and a small smile to accompany it —as if she were trying to remember the good times rather than the bad ones.

“Rocinante?” Zelena asked, trying out the foreign name. She was genuinely interested and encouraged by Regina’s confidence.

“My horse. Mother didn’t approve of the village children, so I felt quite lonely all the time. That is, except when I was with Daniel or riding Rocinante.”

Up to that moment, the stable boy had been nothing more than a title in Regina’s life —her so-called first true love, in addition to another way to spite Cora. And yet, all of a sudden, Zelena saw that the fondness in her words and face was utterly real. Many years had passed and she still missed Daniel. It was a feeling the redhead was not sure she could understand.

“My magic scared people away,” was all the explanation she offered, sipping her tea to avoid facing any sort of judgement. If she could not achieve Regina’s easiness, she could at least conduct herself as stoic as ever.

“So, have you had it all your life?” the brunette asked, somewhat cautiously.

Zelena just nodded curtly. A moment later, she found out she could not help going on, though.

“I could never really control it when I was younger and, one day, I was—” She cut herself off abruptly when she realised what she was about to tell. “You know what? I should let you go back to work,” she said as she got up. Definitely, she did not feel hungry anymore.

“Zelena, wait,” Regina stopped her, at the time she got up, too. “You can tell me if you want. It’s okay, we can talk.”

The redhead hesitated, but the brunette seemed genuine and they had never talked like that. _She_ had never talked like that to anyone. Slowly, she took her seat again and Regina did the same, looking slightly relieved.

“You already know how my mother died. I was very young, but my father... I needed to learn to take care of the house,” she summarised, resolved not to let her emotions get the best of her, even though her gaze refused to focus on one point. “A neighbour offered to teach me. In the village, they didn’t know about my magic yet, so I was happy. It felt like a chance to prove myself. She taught me to cook and clean and wash and sew, so I could also work for her later.” Zelena noticed Regina had become stiff and she tried to explain herself. “But it was... It wasn’t bad, you know? It didn’t take very long for me to screw it up, though. I don’t even remember anymore what triggered it, but long story short, I did magic and she kicked me out. Of course, the whole village knew about the little witch shortly after. I guess I’d never really believed my father’s words until then.”

“Your father’s words?” Regina repeated, almost as if she needed to force the words out of her mouth.

“That I was wicked.”

Zelena sipped her tea, but it had already gone cold, so she put it down and busied herself with crumbling a cookie, not truly intending to eat it. The knot in her stomach had never felt tighter.

The silence lasted so long that she wondered whether Regina would get up and go, leaving her there without so much as a word. The brunette, however, still had a question left.

“How old were you?”

“About seven. Why does it matter? It was a long time ago,” she replied, aloofly.

Regina may have kept her composure while she had talked about herself, but she did not sound controlled at all now.

“Of course it does—!” she began to claim, only to be interrupted by a nervous chuckle from Zelena.

“I don’t even know why the hell I’m telling you this.”

“Well, I think it’s common practice for people to talk in order to get to know each other better,” was the prompt answer.

The ginger looked up. Regina was giving her a little smirk, so she tugged the corners of her mouth up just to end up huffing the next second.

“We can talk later. You were working before I interrupted your morning.”

“I can finish that stuff later as well,” Regina dismissed as she got up. “Why don’t you light the fireplace while I make some more hot tea? It’s cold today. We could switch on the TV and either talk or not.”

Zelena opened her mouth to disagree, but it was a good plan, indeed. Thus, she did as she had been told and, soon enough, they were comfortably curled up on the couch in the living room. As Regina had promised, she did not press the matter further and stayed quiet at the beginning. Yet, the constant looks from Zelena probably prompted her to break the silence.

“So, what were you talking about with Tink? You seemed pretty close.”

For a moment, the redhead considered lying. No good excuse came to mind, though.

“As a matter of fact, you.” Regina’s eyes became slightly wider, full of curiosity, and Zelena gave in. “I asked her how you met.”

“Oh, and what did she say?”

“She didn’t want to give out too many details, but she did say you two got on well before you... well, fell out.”

“Ah, yes. That was my fault.” The brunette let out a brief sigh. “I wasn’t ready to believe in the happiness she offered me. And, because of that, she lost her wings. You see, I’ve managed to hurt every single person who once believed in me.”

Zelena could tell her sister was looking for no sympathy, since her voice only conveyed honest regret.

“You’ve also managed to overcome your past. Now, you’ve got plenty of people believing in you, a family,” the redhead reminded her softly, tentatively looking at brown eyes.

She felt like there had not been enough time to process all she had learnt in the last twenty four hours, but she was coming to realise yet another thing. Regina had been hurt and had hurt infinite times. She had lost people she loved at the hands of people she trusted. She was not the sort of person one would expect to give away second chances, risking the happiness she had worked so hard to achieve. And yet, there was Zelena.

“The truth is that I wasted plenty of chances before reaching the place where I am today.”

The brunette sighed again, leaning back her head and looking up at the ceiling. Suddenly, Zelena felt terribly upset. Was it not what she had said to the fairy? Why could she not then repeat those things to Regina and ask for explanations?

“It looks like you were right all along,” the mayor added, letting out a bitter chuckle. She was still refusing to look at her and the redhead froze.

“What?”

“I could’ve chosen differently a dozen times. It doesn’t seem you had that chance.”

She was truly starting to feel like her sister was stealing all her lines.

“I thought you turned to dark magic because Cora had killed Daniel and you were alone and trapped in your marriage,” the former witch blurted out. She eyed the other woman distrustfully, practically convinced that Regina was trying to pull her leg. Then, after a beat of silence, she gulped and dared add, “I was born with _it_.”

Regina sat upright at once, locking eyes with her at last.

“Zelena, magic doesn’t make a person wicked. Their actions do,” she said, going from almost ferocious to almost incredulous. “And who did you have? Besides that monster of a father.”

The redhead swallowed the lump in her throat, her clear blue eyes wide open. She had not talked much about her father, but no one had ever said that to her.

“In the end, he was right, wasn’t he?” It wasn’t really a question.

All of a sudden, it occurred to her that they were not making any physical contact. It was not as if they touched all the time, but Regina usually let her know she was there physically when they talked about their troubled pasts. Even if they were not on opposite sides of the couch, she found herself missing Regina’s warm hand over hers. Just admitting the mere thought to herself was excruciating.

“Every day here you prove he wasn’t,” retorted her sister, deadly serious.

It took Zelena every ounce of her strength not to burst into tears on the spot. There was a wetness in her voice when she spoke, though, after a few moments of silence Regina let her have patiently.

“And what about Cora? I know she didn’t have her heart while you were growing up, but she did when she gave me up. Why would she have done so if it wasn’t because I was wicked?”

“Zelena, I’ve already told y—”

“Yes, I know,” she cut her off, sharply. She was upset by her pity and, at the same time, she was trying to ignore the tears that blurred her gaze. “You say it’s not our fault. I _don’t_ care. Cora couldn’t love you and yet, she kept you. She could’ve loved me and she chose not to. Why?” Her voice shifted from animosity to desperation swiftly.

Sighing, Regina scooted closer, although she did not reach out. She did, however, make eye contact before speaking so vehemently that she could not be ignored.

“While you had my heart, I still loved Henry. I broke the Dark Curse with the true love’s kiss. I still cared for my family and wasn’t willing to sacrifice anybody for my selfish desires as I would have at another time, heart or not. I saved you without a heart beating in my chest, sis.” Zelena did not dare cut in even when Regina took some seconds to organise her thoughts. At another time, she would have been laughing off the absolute certainty all her speeches seemed to convey. At the moment, though, she found herself hanging on her every word, for she needed that certainty. “Lacking a heart dulls your emotions, but they don’t disappear,” Regina went on. “Cora understood love as a weakness. Power was, for her, the only thing worth getting. I won’t lie and say I didn’t love her. She was my mother and I did, very much. What she did to you is unforgivable, though. And so it is what she did to me. You have a right to be angry, but it had nothing to do with you. Everything was a means to an end for her, including me. She was convinced she was giving me the best possible life, but she did quite the opposite. That’s not love —at least, not the right kind. It doesn’t mean you had it better and, of course, it doesn’t prove you were destined to be wicked. It just means there’s nothing to envy there.”

A couple of tears had escaped Regina’s eyes, but she managed to finish speaking with nothing but an eventual wavering in her voice. Down Zelena’s cheeks, however, numerous tears rolled. A sob escaped against her will and the ginger did not know whether it was that or the move she did to get up what prompted Regina to try enveloping her in her arms as she let out her name in a soft sigh. The redhead managed to break free from her hug, though, and recoiled, stopping at the end of the couch to dry her tears and get a grip on herself.

Regina sighed again, but did not move, and Zelena felt very alone all of a sudden. Without looking up, she dried a hand on her pyjamas and clumsily reached out. A moment later, she could breathe more easily, because warm fingers enveloped hers.

‘I just want to be enough,’ she was about to say, but she was still choking on her own pain.

“It’s going to be all right,” Regina hushed her. She was still holding her hand, while with the other she traced small circles on her knee. “We don’t have to live in the past anymore. We have one another now.”

Zelena just shook her head, knowing there was a difference between how she wished things were and how they actually were.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to everyone. Let's hope the New Year brings some good stuff. Thanks for reading!

New Year Eve’s party was considerably smaller —just the Locksleys and the Mills women. There was only a remarkable chance in their routine, Zelena supposed, although her only reaction was an eye roll upon finding Robin in the kitchen the next morning. Regina’s love life was not really her current concern.

Days passed and nothing really happened. Some weeks later, it snowed again enough for Zelena to see the ground covered when she woke up. That day was a usual morning. Henry was with Emma, so she and Regina had breakfast together before the latter went to work.

Fortunately, they had had no more emotional conversations as of late. Zelena had clearly been the more uncomfortable of the two after it. She would never admit it, but she strongly avoided having to talk about emotions and such. It was not as if Regina encouraged it, either, but she did not seem to mind talking. It seemed so out of character for her and yet, so natural.

She could hardly believe she had spent months thinking Regina would kill her at the slightest chance. She could not believe her sister would sit with her and chat about feelings, either. Still, the latter was actually happening, so there was no point in denying it any longer.

She had been thoroughly wrong about everything when she had first set foot on Mifflin Street. Not only had she been sceptical about that second chance —she was still wrapping her head around it... but more because of herself than her sister. She had even had serious doubts about what role Henry exactly played. She had not thought it possible that Regina’s feelings could be genuine. What a fool she had been.

Zelena had always scorned at the Evil Queen’s power, believing her half-sister to be another spoiled royal. Yet, it was now that she could see Regina’s real strength.

She sighed, lazily sliding her finger across the misted up window glass. Nothing like taking a hot shower to make one think.

The snowed ground looked beautiful from her window. It had not snowed so much since Christmas and, then, it had been a busy time. Regina had talked about how she and Henry used to make snowmen when he was younger on days like that, so maybe if it kept snowing, the boy would soon be down there shattering the smooth upper layer with his games.

Zelena had not experienced snow until she came to Storybrooke. If there had been any in Oz, it had not been anywhere she had been. She longed to touch it again —a childish desire she would only indulge when she was alone. At present, she could do nothing but indulge the mere thought. And yet, she opened the window and was content for a moment when the chilly wind blew through.

It had started to snow again, as lazily as she felt herself, and she could not help reaching out, despite knowing that Regina’s spell would not let her fingertips touch the falling flakes. When the expected barrier never stopped her, she startled and quickly drew back her hand, which had become cold and wet under the snow.

She could swear she had done nothing. Tentatively, she stretched out her hand again, but when the cold bit it that time, she did not take it back. After a moment of utter confusion, she got up from her window bench and closed the window. She stood in the middle of her bedroom, not a clue about what to do next.

Should she call Regina? Why, though? It was not as if someone were going to choose that precise moment to break in. And she was not going to escape, for where would she go in the snow? She would just have to wait for her sister patiently. Even as she reached that conclusion, she started pacing the house up and down.

Regina was not the first to arrive, though. Henry and Roland were, accompanied by Robin.

“Hi, Aunt Zelena!”

Henry greeted her happily and she tried to conceal her anxiety behind a smile. She only felt comfortable broaching the subject with Regina.

“We’re gonna make a snowman in the backyard!” exclaimed Roland, matching Henry’s enthusiasm.

“I’ll be going to Emma’s in a short while,” he told her as she walked them to the back door. “But I found Robin and Roland on my way there and couldn’t help coming with them. I hope we can make a snowman to greet Mom when she gets home.”

“That’s really sweet of you.”

Zelena stopped in the kitchen as they went outside. However, Roland noticed and turned back.

“Aren’t you coming?”

If he knew about Zelena not being allowed to leave the house, he had obviously not considered it was extended to the backyard.

The redhead hesitated to reply. Robin looked with faint worry, but her gaze crossed with Henry’s. It looked like he was already working on an excuse, so she hurried to step in.

“Someone has to make hot cocoa, right?”

Roland accepted that happily and Zelena rolled her eyes at the clear relief on the others’ faces. She had no idea why they all —including her, apparently— were hiding it from the child. He would learn about it sooner or later.

Regina arrived just a few minutes later, brightening when she found out they had guests. However, Zelena was not in the mood to postpone their conversation and barely let her greet the others before dragging her back to the kitchen.

“Should we be giving cocoa to the children before dinner?” the brunette asked innocently.

“I don’t think Henry’s having dinner here,” replied Zelena curtly, steeling herself to face ahead.

“Not the point.”

Whatever Regina was going to say next, the redhead cut her off by speaking first.

“I need to talk to you.”

The younger woman looked slightly taken aback by the seriousness in her voice. After a last longing glance at the back door, she nodded and they both stepped out to the corridor.

“So, what’s the matter?”

Zelena fidgeted for some moments, not knowing very well how to put it into words.

“There’s no protection spell,” she finally blurted out.

“What? Oh, I see. I forgot it.”

“You forgot... renewing it?” came the utterly confused question. It did not make much sense, but the fact that Regina was not looking alarmed in the slightest lacked logic, too.

“No, I forgot to tell you. Well, to be honest, I did want it to be a surprise, but I forgot to call you this morning. You slept in today,” her sister replied calmly.

“You’ve lowered the protection spell on purpose?” Zelena questioned once more, because she could not believe they were talking about the same thing.

“After what happened with those thugs? Of course not. You can go through it now, though.”

It was so absurd she did not even try to wrap her head around it. She did not even try to utter a word.

“However,” Regina went on, adopting a more serious face, “you’re still forbidden from going outside. I just wanted you to be able to should there be any emergency. Understood?”

Zelena only nodded wordlessly. Knowing she was still locked up in the house was not unexpected —nor the worst fate, either. Yet, the gesture changed everything: Regina trusted _her_ to stay there, rather than continue trusting magic to forcefully keep her inside. She did not know how to react. The brunette had even left her alone all morning just for the sake of giving her a surprise. It felt... She would have liked to say it felt nice, but honestly, it felt overwhelming.

Regina seemed to take pity on her and helped her out.

“So, hot cocoa, huh? We can take it outside.” After gazing at Zelena, she added, “The backyard is still within my property.”

At least that part was easily understood.

The rest of the evening was incredibly pleasant, so much that they forgot about dinner and Henry almost arrived late to Emma’s. Later, as she, Regina and the Locksley boys ate, Zelena kept remembering the whole day in the snow. She had mostly watched Regina and Henry teach Roland to make a snowman. Robin also paid attention to everything the three of them did, getting on well with Henry effortlessly. It occurred to the redhead that they looked like a family, because they were one.

Once upon a time, Zelena had thought family, love and all that stuff were just fairytale material. The only way she could cope with her past was by assuming it was not her problem to have been unloved, but just the way it was. And then, she had met —really met— Henry and Regina and learnt that a parent should actually love their child. How that child came into the family did not even matter.

She had never thought that villains could love, too. She began to feel faint stirrings of hope, but tried to dismiss them promptly. As she focused on doing the dishes, she heard Regina’s heartfelt laugh. Like a lightning, a thought struck Zelena. When she killed Neal, someone other than Henry was deprived of getting to know him. At the time, it had been little more than another way to taunt her captive, for she had truly believed the darkest of the villains lacked enough heart to feel the loss as a proper father would. And yet, if there was hope for him, there should be some for a fallen witch.


	13. Chapter 13

Zelena acquired the habit of getting out to the backyard so quickly that, just a few days later, Regina said she was starting to regret her decision, because the redhead would surely catch her death out there. Said redhead only rolled her eyes in response —she made sure to be bundled up when she got out and doubted she could even catch a cold. Truth be told, the snow, the clear sky, even the cold helped her think. Fortunately, Regina could not know that Zelena went out in the morning and did forget to get inside for lunch more often than not. Even if it made no sense, her little newfound freedom kept her company when the mayor and her son were out.

She needed several of those days of calm thinking before she made up her mind about a particular issue. That Sunday, she held onto an unusual burst of bravery and confidence and decided to take advantage of it.

The sisters were alone in the house, having finished breakfast just a moment ago. Regina had gone to take a shower and Zelena was in her room waiting for her to get out. Initially, she had planned to bring up the topic while they were at the kitchen table, but her courage had failed her. Thus, she was currently set on talking to her sister as soon as possible, so that there would not be another repeat of her failure.

The bathroom door finally clicked open and Zelena hurried out of her bedroom. The brunette had entered her own room and she followed her, only stopping briefly in the doorway to knock on the frame. The noise made Regina spun around, slightly startled.

“Zelena.” The tense shoulders relaxed right away, as if by magic. “Did you need something?”

The redhead offered a curt nod, swallowing before steeling herself.

“I wanted to talk to you,” she said simply, forcing her voice to remain calm and collected.

Her sister looked at her, guessing there was something else, but she just nodded, letting her in. She looked like she was going to take a seat on the settee, but when Zelena made no move towards it, she stopped and they both remained standing. The silence became awkward and Regina made a gesture prompting her to talk. Zelena had thought she was ready, but she had to take a deep breath to focus on what she was going to say.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about all I did before coming here,” she started softly. She fidgeted with her fingers and, all of a sudden, her gaze would not stay fixed on one place. She was too nervous to care, though. “I know many things now I didn’t before. I was so full of anger and I sought revenge against the wrong people. I think I never... I never really realised the consequences of my acts. Everything but time travelling felt like a game.” Regina was listening to her closely, her face very serious. Zelena swallowed and made an effort to look her in the eye. “I’d like to... to talk to Rumple.”

There was a moment of absolute stillness as the brunette processed her words. Then, as soon as it was broken, Zelena began to regret having opened her mouth at all.

“I’m sorry. What?”

The last word was close to a yell and wide brown eyes looked up at her as if she had grown two heads. Forcing herself not to flinch, Zelena gulped again and hurried to explain herself.

“I always thought everything was about power with him. How could I know Neal was anything more than a very precious possession?” she tried, desperately. “He had abandoned him, his child. How was I to know?”

“Zelena,” Regina cut in, severe. The redhead suddenly doubted the younger woman had heard her last sentences. “If this is a joke, it’s not amusing at all.”

“Excuse me? Of course it isn’t a j—”

“So, are you telling me you’re serious?” Regina sounded incredulous and shocked, and even a bit angry. “Are you telling me my sister is honestly asking for my permission to go see Rumple? And what, telling him you’re sorry for imprisoning him and leading to his son’s death?”

Zelena’s cheeks turned bright red and she tightened her fists. She no longer felt insecure. Instead, she could taste the familiar anger filling her thoughts and words.

“I thought that was what I was supposed to do,” she retorted. Although her voice trembled slightly, it was strong and cold. “Showing repent and being a goody like you. Wasn’t it the reason why you brought me here in the first place?”

That time, Regina’s eyes did blaze with undisguised fury.

“Enough. I’m not going to play your game. You won’t go and that’s final.”

“Why?” the redhead asked, stubbornly.

Regina took a step forward and fixed her with a level gaze.

“Because a sorry won’t fix anything.”

She delivered her line with an icy voice and, to her horror, Zelena felt tears welling up in her eyes. Wordlessly, she turned around and got out. When she entered her bedroom, she made sure the other woman knew it by banging shut her door.

A while later, she heard the front door opening and closing and she supposed Regina had gone out. At least one of them was able to do so after their argument, Zelena thought bitterly. Being alone was the only reason why she got out and went downstairs at lunch time. Right after, she went back upstairs and tried to spend her time reading until there was no longer light outside. Regina had come back barely an hour before that, but neither of them made any attempt to see each other.

Yet, when dinnertime arrived, Zelena put down her book with a sigh. She would rather get out of her own accord than let Regina come to fetch her.

She had tried not to think about their fight too much, but it was difficult when it has ignited plenty of emotions inside her. She did not really know why she was so upset with Regina. The brunette had not denied her many things and so, their argument made her feel like the greedy creature she had always known she was. She supposed her anger had partly to do with the fact that she had not been expecting so much cruelty on Regina’s part. Although it was not cruelty, she reminded herself, swallowing her tears. Not really. It was the truth. A sorry had never fixed anything. The exception just proved the rule.

Still, she also realised she had been hoping for Regina’s understanding —maybe even for her guidance. And her sister had merely dismissed her, like she did not know what she was doing. It was what had angered her.

She wanted to prove her wrong, though. She was really set on making things right, to show her sister —and herself— the former Queen was not the only one who could. Right then, she promised she would stay true to her resolve.

* * *

A day later, Regina kept feeling terribly bad for what had happened in her bedroom. Not even the prospect of spending the evening with Henry managed to cheer her up completely.

She would lie if she said she had not meant to be so cruel to Zelena, though. She had just panicked and sharp words were her only idea to stop her sister from accomplishing such madness. Even so, her success did not help her feel much better.

She had almost apologised the previous night as they had dinner. The redhead had come down on time, to Regina’s relief, but she had barely eaten, going back upstairs shortly after without uttering a single word. And yet, the mayor had forced herself to bite back any attempts to make amends for her reaction. The important thing was for Zelena to discard her idea.

The ginger had not appeared that morning for breakfast and, as Regina went back home to pick up a forgotten document, she thought maybe she would stay for lunch and they could talk. Over twenty hours had passed since their argument —her sister might have cooled down already by then.

She opened the front door and only silence greeted her. She called out, but unsurprisingly, no one answered. She searched the ground floor up and down, including the backyard and, still, the redhead was nowhere to be seen. A bit resigned, she went upstairs.

Her sister’s door was closed and she knocked firmly.

“Zelena?” The continued lack of answer made Regina huff. “Listen, if you open the door, we can talk things out like adults. You can’t give me the silent treatment forever.” The older woman seemed to think otherwise, because there was still no answer. Regina rolled her eyes, annoyed. “What are you, five?”

She decided she had run out of patience, so she opened the door and steeled herself for her sister’s wrath. Her eyes bulged out in surprise when she found the room empty.

At once, she went to the bathroom. Then, she checked every room on the first floor, only to come back to Zelena’s bedroom once more. She entered, but found nothing there. Her bed was primly made and the book she was reading was on her bedside table, next to the framed portrait Henry had given her for Christmas. Her clothes were in the wardrobe. Regina knew for sure her sister had not run away.

The alternative was even worse.

She raced downstairs and grabbed her phone. Immediately, she called the sheriff’s station, not caring about which Charming would pick it up.

“Sheriff’s station. David Nolan speaking,” the former prince answered promptly.

“David, it’s Regina,” the mayor said, not managing to keep the anxiety out of her voice completely. “I need you to go to Gold’s shop. I’m afraid Zelena may be there, but be on the look for her on the streets as you go. I’ll check his house and meet you in his shop if there’s no one there. I can’t risk her meeting him while I look for her elsewhere.”

“Regina,” he cut in when she stopped to breathe. “Zelena’s escaped?”

“Yes. Well, not exactly,” she replied, frustrated with her own inability to explain herself. “I’ll explain it later, maybe over dinner one night. Right now, we can’t waste any more time. I don’t know when she went out.”

“Okay, okay,” he quickly reassured her. “Emma’s out at the moment, but I’ll go right away.”

“Okay. Thank you, David,” she said, breathing for what seemed the first time.

She hung up and grabbed her car keys before huffing, deeply annoyed with herself. She lifted her arms and crossed them in the air, letting a purple cloud envelop her.

* * *

Zelena tugged at the hood of her sweatshirt once again, not wanting to be seen or to attract any attention. It had been months since the inhabitants of Storybrooke had been witness to her threats, but she did not want to risk any of them calling Regina because they had seen a redhead walking down the street that suspiciously looked like the Wicked Witch. So far, so good, though.

She had kept in mind she would probably be back in the mansion before Regina arrived, so she could explain everything to her calmly. However, as she got closer to the shop, her anxiety was growing and her doubts were multiplying. Maybe she should have left a note for her sister. What if she did not care about the result of her actions and only saw Zelena taking advantage of her trust? She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. There was no point in regretting anything now. She was too close to turn around. She reached the shop and faced the door. Breathing in one last time, she pushed it open.

The bell chimed and Zelena stood in the entry as her eyes tried to readjust to the dim light. There was no one there, but soon enough, Belle emerged from the back. Both women stood frozen for a moment, until the brunette managed to react at the unexpected visit.

“What are you doing here?” she asked defensively, putting her hands down on the glass counter.

Zelena pressed her lips together and forced herself to take several steps forward.

“I came to see Rumple,” she replied, mustering far more confidence in her voice than she truly felt.

Belle’s eyes hardened at the mention of her husband and she did not hesitate to grab a phone.

“I’m calling Regina,” was all she said.

In a desperate attempt to stop her, Zelena let partly go her composed appearance.

“Wait. I mean no harm. I just— just want to talk about all that happened,” she said.

Upon hearing the unusual honesty in her voice, Belle seemed to revaluate her next action. Yet, she did not put down the phone.

“Does Regina allow you to go out now?”

The redhead had not been expecting that question.

“No,” she admitted, looking away for a second.

“So, you’ve escaped,” Belle stated, calmly.

Zelena opened her mouth to defend herself, but in a way, it was true. So she just gulped and offered a curt nod. Then, she remembered something Regina had said.

“Look, I’m playing no games here, I just need—”

She interrupted herself, spinning around startled when the door was opened and the bell chimed once again.

Despite having prepared herself for that moment, the colour drained from Zelena’s face when she actually saw Rumplestiltskin. She began to steel herself at once, but she never had a real chance. All of a sudden, she felt that her feet were no longer touching the floor and a surprised cry escaped from her lips as a force flung her forward. It was cut short when she got slammed against an almost naked wall. She fell in a heap and some objects followed her, but their clattering sounded far away in her ears.

Slowly, she raised her head, feeling nauseatingly dizzy. Her gaze was blurred by the tears that flooded her eyes. She tried to get some words out, but she could not remember what she was supposed to say. She looked down, blinking several times to clear her gaze and put herself together. When she looked up again, Rumple was standing in front of her. Frantically, she managed to sit up and get away until her back hit the wall. There was no escape then. The Dark One kept advancing towards her and she already knew nothing would stop him.

Zelena was truly paralysed. She had not felt that sort of fear in a long, long time. She had been painfully aware of her vulnerability around Regina at the beginning, but the certainty of her current situation was different. And she could not help being afraid of the pain.

Her eyes welled up with tears again and she did not make an effort to blink them away that time. Some part of her mind was screaming for her to get up, at least to attempt to run away, even to look for Belle. Or even just to speak up. She did none of those things, though. She only closed her eyes and focused on not letting any sob come out. His footsteps kept getting closer, steady as a funeral march. She knew the outcome. She would die.

A strident noise stilled the sound of footsteps. She turned her head so quickly that it went spinning again. She had to swallow down her disappointment and what little hope she had had when the person who came through the door was not Regina, but the so-called Prince Charming.

Both men froze for a second, looking at each other, and Zelena used that time to regain her composure. She knew better than to think it changed anything.

“Gold, step back,” the prince ordered, finally breaking the silence.

The redhead looked up, confused at the firmness in his voice. Did he want to take upon himself the merit of vanquishing the Wicked Witch? It sounded odd even to Zelena.

“She had the guts to come here. She’ll have to have them now to face the consequences,” Rumple threatened, darkly.

A hurried click-clack of high heels was heard, but Belle was still frozen on the spot. A second later, Regina stormed in, with all the fury of the Queen burning in her dark eyes. Zelena could not help flinching at her sudden entrance, knowing straight away that rage would be directed at her sooner or later.

She had made one of the biggest mistakes in her life and it was starting to dawn on her. Once again, she had been offered the chance to change her destiny and she had wasted it. Regina trusted her not to escape and she did so less than a month later. It felt strange how breaking her trust could cause so much pain to Zelena herself.

While she expected a punishment to come, she also knew Regina would not let her die at Rumplestiltskin’s hands, nor would the mayor kill her. Despite everything, she could trust Regina not to let any harm come to her. The sudden and absolute certainty of it hurt the most.

Because she may not hurt her, but Zelena would not be allowed to go back to her home. That life was over. She tried to push away that thought by reminding herself that Regina’s intentions may not matter much with the Dark One there.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” the brunette roared, stepping forward until she was next to David. She stole a quick glance at her fallen sister, but right away, fixed it on Rumple again. He remained unfazed.

“You forced me to spare her life last time. This time, I will avenge Bae.”

“Rumple, don’t.” Belle finally moved away from behind the counter and came up to him. She was hesitant at first, but then, she became resolute and grabbed his arm. “You promised. Let her go.”

“I promised I wouldn’t go after her. But she’s come to me, dearie.”

His last line and the snarl that went with it were delivered to Regina, who did not answer right away. She glared at him and took yet another step forward, putting herself between him and Zelena. The tension in the air was high and the redhead had not the faintest clue about how the situation would end. Everyone there seemed determined to get what they wanted.

Rumple and Regina kept shooting daggers at each other. The relief Zelena might have felt at her sister’s arrival was at once shadowed by her worry that the outcome would not be pretty.

“Are you really willing to do this the hard way and risk Belle’s life? Because I won’t go down without a fight,” warned the brunette.

The librarian whispered another “Please” to her husband and tightened her hold. Even though he did nothing one way or another, Regina seemed to think it was safe to move. She exchanged looks with David and a last glare with the Dark One before turning around and kneeling before her sister. Zelena tensed at having her so close all of a sudden, only to remember she was trapped and could not get away.

“You okay?” Regina asked softly, putting a hand on her arm and looking her up and down.

The ginger did not flinch away, still in shock. She just nodded, fixing her eyes on the floor so that the other woman would not see how far she was from being okay. The next moment, her arm was grabbed and, even though the hold was not rough, she could not help the way her stomach tightened.

“C’mon, let’s get you off the floor,” the brunette went on in the same soothing voice.

Zelena was confused and surprised by such gentleness, but tried not to let it show. Looking even weaker than she already had would do good to no one.

Regina helped her up and the redhead held onto her for support out of instinct. She did not feel so dizzy anymore, but she still needed a second to get her balance on her feet.

Both sisters looked up at the same time and saw the Dark One darkly smirking at them. Zelena could feel Regina tensing as well, but she knew it was for a different reason —she was filled with apprehension, while her younger sister seemed to want nothing more than to jump at Rumplestiltskin’s throat. He made a comment that went unheard by the redhead, because her mind was focused on her own panic: the former Queen was already letting her go, willing to confront the imp. Right away, she tightened her grip and, even though she would blame dizziness for her reaction, there was desperation in her sudden strength.

It seemed to surprise Regina as well as Zelena. The brunette turned around again and looked at her. The redhead forced herself to hold her gaze, trying to convey a calmness she did not feel. She suddenly realised she was shaking and her grip on her sister’s arm was iron.

After several painfully slow seconds, Regina gave in. She looked at David and gave him a curt nod. He turned around and opened the door, holding it so they could leave. The brunette looked at the Dark One defiantly and he answered the same way. In fact, for once they both seemed to agree on something —they were not finished there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

Outside Gold’s pawnshop, cold caught Zelena by surprise. She felt much more aware of her surroundings and let go of Regina’s arm as if it burnt. Almost at the same time, the brunette regained her hold of her and, that time, it was firmer.

“Do you want a ride?” the prince asked suddenly.

They were all itching to get away from that place. Regina stared at Zelena again and, in the brown eyes, she could no longer find any sort of softness. The mayor nodded curtly and the redhead looked away.

They got in the van —David and Regina in the front seats and Zelena in the back. As the doors closed shut, she could feel fresh tears welling up in her eyes. Regina had not uttered another single word to her. She did not even know whether she was being taken to the asylum or the sheriff’s station.

She had been so stupid. She had just lost what she had looked for all her life and she had no one to blame but herself. Of course it should not surprise anyone, but she had started to believe she could belong in somewhere. Where else could she have found someone as patient with her as Regina? And Henry... No one had ever looked at her as the boy did. She almost burst into tears when she realised she would probably not see him ever again.

She blinked the tears away, though. She would break down later, when she was alone. She was not going to be any more of a burden to anyone. Besides, being honest, showing vulnerability —it was all over. And Zelena was not very sure it had been worth the pain.

She took in every detail of that winter afternoon as they rode down the streets. That is, until a realisation snapped her out of her musings. They had gone on by the sheriff’s station. And, if her memory did not trick her, the hospital was in the opposite direction.

Shortly after, it was undeniable they were going to Regina’s house. The redhead was puzzled at first. Perhaps her sister would not let her go anywhere without some clothes and other basic items. Zelena felt the familiar pang of anger, hating the brunette a little for showing her any more kindness. When would she leave her alone? A tiny part of herself, however, asked a very different question. Would she be allowed to take other things, like books? She shut that weak voice at once and promised herself she would not beg for anything.

They finally arrived at the mansion and David stopped the van but did not kill the engine. Zelena was unsure whether she was expected to get out as well. Yet, she figured that, if Regina did not want her to go in, she would say so out loud. It was not the case, so the redhead followed her out of the vehicle. The mayor just turned around to thank David for his assistance and he replied with the usual pleasantries. Then, he drove away, to Zelena’s further confusion. She was probably overthinking the whole situation and Regina would just drive her later to wherever she would be staying from then on.

The sisters were left alone in the path, but the younger one did not remain standing there for long. She walked up to the front door and opened it, waiting for the redhead to go in first. Despite not knowing exactly what was going on, she complied and forced herself not to flinch when the door was slammed shut.

Robin emerged then from the kitchen, clearly worried sick.

“I received your message,” he told his girlfriend right away. “Are you two all right?”

Regina took some steps away from Zelena, but did not get closer to Robin, either.

“Why don’t we ask my sister?” the brunette retorted, barely controlling her fury. She crossed her arms over her chest and finally fixed her gaze on the redhead. “What the hell were you thinking?!”

At Regina’s fire, Zelena wished she could answer with fire of her own. Rage was a much easier emotion to manage than pain.

“Do we need to have this conversation here?” she retorted with as much contempt as she could muster, but failed to match the yelling. Her voice was dark, dull, devoid of any real emotion —just like she wanted to feel.

“Of course,” Regina scoffed, visibly annoyed. Robin was looking between them as if it were a tennis match, not knowing how to cut in. “Would you rather have it anywhere else?”

Her mocking tone was the last straw for Zelena.

“Actually, yes! Wherever you’re bloody going to take me!” she replied in a high-pitched cry.

“What on earth are you talking about? You’re not going anywhere.”

Regina’s annoyance had grown, but her words brought stillness to the redhead’s mind. She needed a second to think of something to say. Lying and covering up her mistake did not even occur to her —she was too stunned by how absolutely clueless her sister had sounded.

“I... I thought I couldn’t stay here anymore,” she said in a small voice.

She could not help hesitating as her temper deflated swiftly. Yet, her insecurity neither brought a pause in the conversation nor softened Regina that time.

“You thought I’d throw you out?” she asked, incredulous. Zelena did not really know how to answer to that. She had been positive Regina would not take her back in after the debacle in Rumple’s shop.

“I—”

“Why do you _always_ believe things like that?” the brunette cut her off without a second thought. “What the hell have I done so far to still make you think I’d do such a thing?”

Zelena felt unable to swallow her emotions all of a sudden. The lump in her throat was too big and stopped her from speaking. Regina was getting angrier by the second and Robin chose to intervene at that point.

“Regina, love, I think she only had good intentions in mind.”

The brunette spun around and focused her attention on him. It would have been terrifying for anyone else, but Robin did not even flinch.

“And since when do you take her side?” she accused. “Her good intentions almost got her killed! No, don’t you dare answer me. I’m going upstairs, before I end you two myself.” With no other word, they saw her climbing up the stairs briskly, her rage present in every step.

Zelena and Robin were left alone in the hall, surrounded by an awkward silence he decided to break.

“She’s only worried,” he assured her.

She did not look at him —she still had her wet blue eyes fixed on the spot where she had last seen Regina. She did not know whether it was mortification, shock, embarrassment or just an overwhelming need to cry, but whatever she was currently feeling, she needed to get out of there.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she announced, and her voice broke at the end.

* * *

As soon as Regina slammed her door shut, she knew she had gone too far in her outburst —although she could not admit it to herself until she had calmed down considerably. She wanted to throw something, to tug at her hair, to wreck the town. Anything that would get the fear out of her system.

She had had no time to think about how frightened she had felt, but now she realised she had been downright scared. For all she had known, her sister could have been already dead when Regina went out in her search. And then, when she arrived at the shop, even though Zelena was thankfully breathing, Rumple had been so determined and the redhead so pale that she had been sure they would exchange blows before getting out of there.

Luckily, it had not been the case and she had to remind herself once again that her sister was actually alive and well. A perfectly alive idiot —she huffed at the thought. Maybe she could shake off her fear by whacking some damn sense into that ginger head of hers.

Regina paced up and down, until she could breathe normally and think clearly. And then, she did not want to be alone any longer.

She stormed out of her bedroom. Walking down the corridor, she saw her sister’s closed door. She hesitated for a second, but finally chose to see Robin first.

He was in the living room, eyeing a bookshelf. He looked up upon noticing her footsteps and smiled brightly at once, as if she had not snapped at him half an hour ago.

“How are you feeling?” he asked kindly.

Regina stepped forward and kissed him wordlessly.

“Better,” she replied when they pulled apart, smirking ever so slightly.

He chuckled and she allowed herself to rest her head on his chest. His arms were around her the next second.

“You should be upset by how I talked to you earlier,” she mumbled, even if she had said worse things to him during the missing year and he had always remained calm and collected.

“It’s okay. I know you hide behind anger when you’re afraid.”

“I hate it when you can read me so well,” she whined, burying her face deeper into his shirt.

“No, you don’t. At least not anymore,” he retorted and she gave him a full smile that he would sense even if he could not see it.

She breathed in his scent and felt the last anxious knots fading away.

“I should talk to Zelena,” she said, sighing and finally stepping back.

“She said she’d go to take a shower. It’ll probably calm her down.”

Regina frowned. She had not heard water running and the bathroom was definitely empty when she had walked by. It was hardly something to concern Robin with, though.

“I’d rather go upstairs and see her at once anyway,” she insisted, knowing he would understand. “Would you mind bringing Henry with you as you pick up Roland from school? He was supposed to stay here today and I’d rather not change plans.”

“Of course not. Milady.” He added the last word suddenly, taking her hand to his lips and kissing it. Regina swatted him away while she rolled her eyes, but she could not help beaming again.

She walked him to the door and, then, headed upstairs. The stillness on the first floor was overwhelming. She softly rapped on Zelena’s door, but it was met with no answer. She did it again, determined not to lose her patience.

“It’s Regina. Can I come in?” she asked.

That time, her sister did reply, although it was barely loud enough to be heard from the other side of the wooden door.

“Of course.”

She sighed, steadying herself for whatever it was to come. She opened the door and immediately found Zelena sitting on the head of her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. The brunette closed the door quietly and stepped forward with deliberate slowness. It was stupid, but she felt that any sudden movements would scare her sister further. Once she reached the bed, she pointed at it with her chin.

“May I?”

Zelena just nodded and Regina made herself comfortable in front of her. The redhead lowered her knees, crossing her legs instead. She was surrounded by a quiet sadness, but at least she did not flinch away —a possibility the brunette had not allowed herself to contemplate until now, when she could rule it out.

Even though her blue eyes were fixed on her lap, on the fidgeting hands there, Regina could see they were red and puffy. It only made her more hesitant about her next words. Hoping to gain some time, she focused her gaze on the same point as her sister. What she saw set off her alarms again.

“Are you bleeding?” she asked, not hiding a note of panic very well.

There was not a lot of blood, only some traces. Still, she felt dread gripping her heart once again. Zelena only kept looking down at them, as if considering her answer. Then, she shrugged and made fists so that the blood was no longer in sight.

“I’m fine,” she replied, shaking her head briefly. She sounded far more composed than Regina had expected.

The mayor was not thinking about it, though. Her stomach was churning because her sister had been hurt and, in her rage, she had not seen it. Clearing her throat, she attempted to put herself together as well.

“I’d like to see it for myself,” she insisted, firmly but not unkindly.

Now that she looked closely, she noticed the stiff strands of ginger hair.

“Really, I’m fine. I was going to take a shower and wash it, but...” The redhead took a deep breath and finally looked up. “Just tell me what you came here to say.”

Her gaze hardened a little, although not from rage. Regina understood the need to pretend to be strong when one felt anything but it, so she merely offered a sad smile.

“We can talk about your injury later if you want, but answer me two questions first. No lying.” It was as much as she was willing to give in.

Zelena agreed and Regina fixed her eyes on her, ready to catch any lie.

“Are you dizzy?” The other woman shook her head. “Do you have any other injuries?” Another head shake.

The brunette pursed her lips, not completely convinced. However, Zelena’s gaze seemed to be focused and she did not look dizzy. Regina sighed for the third time and ran a hand across her hair. For the time being, she would let it go —although she was still berating herself up for having let her anger cloud her judgement up to that point.

“I wanted to say ‘sorry’ for how I reacted earlier,” she stated without preamble. A flick of surprise crossed the eyes that were currently watching her very intently. “I was scared and angry and said things I didn’t mean,” she admitted softly. Tears flooded those blue eyes and Regina reached out, putting a gentle hand over her sister’s tensed up ones. It did not seem like Zelena would cut in, so Regina figured she would say everything that was in her mind. “Your intentions do matter. They matter to those who care about you.”

Upon hearing that, Zelena could not hold back a sob any longer. Tears broke free and she lifted a hand to cover her eyes. Still, her other hand held onto Regina’s as a lifesaver and it made the brunette remain frozen on her spot. She stayed quiet, doubtful about how to proceed.

“I— I’m stupid,” the redhead managed to say between sobs. “I thought I could make things right. As you have. As good people do. They’re always trying to make things right, aren’t they? And, even if their plans don’t make sense, they win at the end. Oh, sis, I— I’m just st— stupid for thinking I could do the same.”

Her voice was completely broken by the end of her rant and she only kept crying harder when words left her. Regina pursed her lips and waited for her to calm down a bit before replying.

“Sis, I shouldn’t have been so brash when I told you ‘sorry’ isn’t always enough, but the statement remains true.” Zelena looked up for a second and their eyes met. She nodded and sniffed before looking down again. “There are consequences to our actions. We must face them knowing that, sometimes, we can’t make it up to those people. We can’t fix things up even if we’d trade anything for it, so we must learn to live carrying that guilt.”

Regina swallowed, having relived with her words the weight of her own wrongdoings.

“I know that, but... I never thought ‘sorry’ could fix anything at all and, then, it did and I suppose I let it cloud my judgement,” the redhead said, having managed to stop crying for the moment.

Regina frowned, unsure what her sister was referring to. She chose to leave her questions for later, though, and squeezed her hand. She had already used up all her quota for rebuking her.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” she assured, “but don’t you ever do something like that again.”

She had not meant to sound stern, but she neither managed to speak lightly nor could bring herself to correct it when Zelena hurried to shake her head. The former witch looked down at her intertwined hands and, then, up at brown eyes. She gulped and Regina knew she was gathering her courage to add something else.

“I know the answer will probably be ‘no.’ You really have no reason to... But do you think, I— I mean, someday, there’ll be any way to put the spell on the limits of the backyard again so I...? N— Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

Zelena’s cheeks had become redder and redder as she spoke, until she shut up abruptly. Regina tightened her lips and she could feel the ginger stiffening in response. The former Queen had not really thought about the barrier.

“The spell surrounding the house isn’t going to change,” she decided after a few seconds in silence.

Despite her confident voice, she felt she was making a mistake. All the facts indicated that the sensible thing would be to lock up her sister again, at least for some time. Yet, the redhead had shown genuine regret for her impulsiveness, had thought she had lost her second chance and had needed all her courage to simply ask for the size of her cell to be the same. She was clearly expecting a punishment, and maybe she should get one, but Regina was unwilling to carry it out. She would rather spare her sister from feeling any more pain on that day.

Zelena’s blue eyes went wide open and, open-mouthed, she fixed them on the brunette.

“What? But you just said our acts have consequences.”

Regina shrugged slightly, still feigning certainty she did not feel entirely.

“I know, but I’m also aware that you weren’t really trying to escape. Besides, I think the fright you got is lesson enough.”

Zelena stared at her for several more seconds, as if trying to figure out some big mystery, until she finally nodded. And yet, she still looked somewhat sad. Her meek appearance contrasted with the iron grip she kept on Regina’s hand.

“It won’t happen again,” the ginger said out loud after a minute, breaking the dense stillness.

Regina nodded in response, caressing the pale skin with her thumb for a bit before replying.

“I’ll let you get some rest, but first, I’d like you to wash your injury so I can have a look at it. And don’t tell me you’re fine,” she added when her sister opened her mouth, presumably to protest.

Zelena closed it, but after swallowing, she schooled her features and opened it again. She looked like she was going to take another leap of faith.

“I... I’d like to tell you something first,” she said, barely above a whisper, as if she did not dare ask _that_.

“Go ahead,” prompted Regina.

Zelena gulped again. Finally, she took back her hands. The younger woman let her, understanding her need to put some distance between them. With her now free hands, the redhead dried her face, sighing. Then, she breathed in, looking Regina in the eye.

“I want you to know I really understand what you’ve said,” she started, solemnly. “I know words can’t fix what actions have done. And you’ve already given me more than I... than I ever expected. So I need you to know I’m not asking for anything here.” Regina matched her seriousness as she nodded. “What I did to Neal isn’t the only thing I’ve been thinking about. Actually, that was because Henry and I were talking and I... I felt the need to apologise to him. I’ve never met such an amazing child before and he’s always so good to me... It— It felt wrong to keep on as always, I guess. So I apologised and he forgave me, and I wouldn’t’ve ever expected that. So it made me reflect on all the other things I did prior to coming here. It would’ve made more sense to apologise to you before doing so with Rumple, but I didn’t dare. I... I suppose I didn’t want to remind you of everything I’ve done to you. I’m truly a coward,” she admitted. Her voice was low and filled with shame and she could no longer hold Regina’s gaze as she finished speaking.

The brunette was speechless, mulling over every bit of information she had just received. The part about Henry had warmed her heart, but she could not help being confused about Zelena’s relationship with Rumplestiltskin. Then again, her own feelings about her former teacher had never been easily defined. She could not help softening upon hearing the honesty in her voice, either —the hidden earnestness for a clean slate.

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Zelena was completely still, looking down and hiding her face behind her hair. Regina did not know whether she had nothing else to add or she was having serious trouble finding the right words. In any case, the brunette decided it was time for her to break the silence. The right words had certainly come to her.

Very slowly, she reached out for her sister’s face, barely touching it with her fingertips but making her lift it all the same. She smiled to chase away the fear she saw there, knowing her own brown eyes mirrored watery blue ones.

“I’ve never thought of you as a coward. You’re forgiven,” she whispered simply.

Zelena tried to breathe in and gulp at the same time and, in the end, her face only scrunched up. A moment later, tears began to roll down her cheeks and it was the last thing Regina saw.

Neither of them knew who initiated it, but soon enough, they were enveloped in a much needed hug. As Zelena silently sobbed in her shoulder, Regina allowed herself to fully enjoy the moment for just a second before looking for the injury among the red curls. She located it promptly and healed it without a second thought. Then, she could finally focus on her sister and on returning the embrace as tightly as possible, having a pretty good idea of what was going on inside that silly ginger head.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter ahead! I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think.

Right after talking with her sister, Regina would have liked to go and face Rumple. The boys had arrived by then, though, so she decided to give them a surprise instead and order some pizza. She also had to convince Zelena to have dinner downstairs with all of them. The redhead was physically fine, but still scared and a bit closed up in her shell. Yet, as Regina had hoped, she brightened a little in presence of the children.

Thus, the brunette had to wait until the following day, when she dropped by the town hall only to tell Tinker Bell she needed to go out to solve some business and did not know when she would be back.

She strode into the pawnshop making sure her presence was heard. Inside, it seemed that the Dark One had already removed any evidence of the recent confrontation.

“Madame Mayor,” greeted Rumplestiltskin suddenly, emerging from the shadows of the back. His words, as his walking, were paused. If she did not know better, it would truly look like he did not know why she was there. “What an early visit. Isn’t anybody missed at work nowadays?”

“Did you really think I’d let you go so easily?” she retorted.

“If I’m not mistaken, it was me who let you go yesterday, dearie,” he said, smoothly and calmly. Then, his eyes shone maliciously. “Tell me, how’s your sister? Hasn’t she wanted to accompany you?”

Regina felt hot anger burning through her veins. Even though she knew the game Rumple was playing, she had a hard time keeping her composure. She waited a few seconds before replying, ignoring his last couple of questions.

“I’ve come here to give you a warning. Or to offer a deal, I don’t care how you want to take it.”

Rumple’s smirk only got bigger.

“I think we agreed a long time ago you don’t have anything to offer me.”

Once again, Regina ignored his taunting words altogether. She knew she would be lost if she let him get the upper hand. Fortunately, the power her former teacher had held over her once was no longer absolute.

“You don’t step anywhere near my sister and I’ll make sure she does the same with you and Belle.”

“And why would I agree? I can protect us against her. She’s no menace.”

“Is that why you were so scared yesterday when you found her here?” she reminded him. “You can protect yourself with magic, of course, but you can’t protect Belle all the time. Zelena is very smart, even powerless. Your wife may be no damsel in distress, but you know how dangerous someone bent on revenge is.” She omitted the part about doubting her sister would seek revenge or go anywhere near Rumple any time soon.

He actually seemed to weigh her words for several seconds.

“Belle told me she wanted to talk to me. What game is she playing?” he asked, trying to shift the focus of the conversation. Regina was having none of it.

“I’m not here to discuss her. I’m here to make sure you don’t hurt her ever again.”

“Really? Why are you devoting yourself to someone who hated you so much? She endangered your whole family and her prize is your protection.”

The mayor clenched her fists, restraining her wish to fight —either with magic or with those very fists.

“If you think you’re better than her,” she said through her teeth, “then, take your second chance. Don’t let Belle down and stay true to what you promised her.”

Rumple clenched his jaw, too.

“I already did. It was her who entered my shop.”

“It won’t happen again.”

They locked their gazes, silently trying to make the other back down.

“The deal will be broken for good if she dares come near Belle or me again. And, this time, I’ll make sure you don’t arrive in time to play the hero.”

Regina considered vanishing in a purple cloud to avoid punching him in the face. Still, she forced herself to stay calm for a few more minutes and just looked him in the eye.

“We have a deal,” she agreed, nodding.

“If you start keeping a closer eye on your _prisoner_, that’s it,” he acquiesced.

She knew the imp was just trying to provoke her —he had always found it amusing—, but it did nothing to calm her nerves. Unsurprisingly, he had figured out Zelena enjoyed more freedom than at the beginning —perhaps than any sane person would allow. It was information she was not ready to share yet. Thus, it was in her best interests not to anger Rumple any further. If he decided to go against her and reveal she was no longer keeping the Wicked Witch locked up, she had no doubt he could turn the townspeople on her quicker than she could avoid it.

She tightened her fists until they hurt, commanding her magic to stay under control. Before she could do anything she would regret, she turned around and got out —her high heels marking every one of her steps.

* * *

Zelena would have liked to hide in her bedroom, under the bedcover, and not to face anyone on the next few days. She felt self-conscious and embarrassed around others, even though the incident was never brought up —neither Roland nor Henry knew about it, Robin had not mentioned it once and Regina had already said all she had to say that very day. Nevertheless, her sister had insisted that everything went on as normal and, as usual, she had been right. Shortly after, Zelena began to feel like herself again, when she made sure nothing had actually changed in the house. Just when she started feeling at ease, Henry told her about a certain event that came to occupy her mind entirely.

It was Saturday, but Regina was at the town hall catching up with some late reports. Aunt and nephew were playing video games. Zelena had improved a lot over the last few months and the boy enjoyed trying with her all sorts of games.

He did not tell her much at first, only that his mother’s birthday was the following week and she did not know they were going to throw her a party.

“I was hoping maybe you could decorate the living room and set up the table while we keep her out of home.”

“I don’t mind, but... Are you sure Snow wants to have the party here?” she asked, dubious, taking her eyes away from the screen and fixing them on him.

Henry took advantage of her brief loss of focus and his character beat hers.

“Yeah. I talked to them and told them Mom would want it that way,” he replied carelessly, setting up another game.

“What do you do on birthdays?”

That time, Henry did pick up on the hesitation in her voice. Or maybe he found it easier to explain himself while he was looking at her. Anyhow, he stopped the game and turned towards his aunt.

“I think it doesn’t change that much from one realm to another. It’s the usual: cake, presents, a party. I think Mom and Grandma used to have balls because they were royalty, but there won’t be any of that here.”

Zelena gulped. She did not feel the slightest tinge of jealousy, too focused as she was on staying calm. She could not very well admit to Henry that she had not got the faintest clue about what the usual way to celebrate a birthday was. Instead, she tried another approach.

“What would I need to do? I mean, how do you want to have the house decorated?”

“Oh, just put some banner up or something like that. Someone will bring it to you together with the cake. Don’t worry.” He smiled, staying quiet for a second while he bit his lip. “Mom doesn’t like to celebrate her birthday, but we thought she deserved a party even if it’s a small one,” he finally confessed.

“What do you usually give as presents?”

She realised she was asking too many questions, but it had got out before she could think better of it.

“I don’t know. Anything that person likes. It’s the first birthday we can celebrate properly in a long time, so I’m a little clueless, too. When I was little, I’d make her something and she’d take us to Granny’s for some treat.”

Zelena nodded, pensively. The idea that she needed —and wanted— to give Regina a present was beginning to form in her mind. At the same time, she realised it was ludicrous —buying a gift was clearly out of question.

She put an end to those bleak thoughts and focused on learning more about something Henry clearly assumed everybody was familiar with.

“Are birthday cakes any different from normal cakes?”

“Not really. They can be decorated, but they are mostly used to blow out the candles. Didn’t you blow candles in Oz?” he asked when confusion showed up on her face. The redhead shook her head promptly, feeling bad at once for lying. For all she knew, maybe they did blow candles in Oz.

“Well, here it’s tradition to blow out the candles and make a wish.”

That last part brought a small smile to Zelena’s face.

“Have ever some of yours come true?”

“Yeah, some.”

His voice was slightly tinged with sadness and Zelena stopped asking questions. They stayed silent for a moment, each deep in thought.

“I won’t mind it if you’d rather throw the party anywhere else,” she dared say, breaking the silence.

“No, it’ll be fun,” Henry replied firmly. “We’ll show Mom that birthday parties can be fun.”

Despite herself, she smiled again upon hearing the certainty in his voice. Then, she decided to change the subject, afraid that he would ask something related to her life in Oz.

The following days were spent on non-stop deliberations about what she could give Regina on her birthday. She had not asked her nephew for ideas, wanting to come up with something by herself. She still remembered her sister’s gift on Christmas. How could she equal that? Making something was her only option, but as Henry had suggested, it seemed something reserved just for children.

If Regina noticed her weird mood, she said nothing. Perhaps she still thought the redhead had not fully recovered from the shock yet. Indeed, her nightmares had made a strong comeback after what had happened at Gold’s shop, but it was easier to deal with them when the following morning she went downstairs and there were people in the kitchen waiting for her.

She finally came up with an idea barely a couple of days before the date. It was ridiculous, but the birthday was upon them and she had nothing else planned.

They would take Regina out for lunch, so Zelena had the afternoon to get the house ready. It was her first thought when she woke up that morning, but the anxiety about her gift promptly overshadowed everything else. She wanted to groan, forget it and plop back down on her pillow. After seriously considering it for a few seconds, she forced herself to get out of bed. The house was completely still, which meant no one but her was awaken yet —and she had to take advantage of it.

Quietly, she went downstairs to the kitchen, where she spent half an hour cooking a ravenous breakfast: juice, coffee, waffles and blueberry pancakes. It smelt heavenly and she was quite happy with how it was turning out. As soon as she finished it, though, she thought about taking it upstairs and lost her courage. She had clearly made too much food. She felt like crying, wondering why she could not do anything right. Yet, before falling into a downward spiral of self-pity, she made her thoughts stop and took a deep breath. She did not have to take all that food upstairs, just Regina’s share. The rest would be for her and Henry to eat afterwards. Trying to keep her insecurity at bay with that reasoning in mind, she put some of each thing on a tray and climbed up the stairs.

Her sister’s door was still closed and she was afraid it was too early. Her hands were full and she could not know what time it was, so she just rapped on it before her doubts could keep going any longer.

“Come in,” came the soft answer from inside after just a moment.

Regina’s voice sounded sleepy and, right away, Zelena knew she had woken her. The redhead opened the door and peeked in.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s okay,” replied Regina, biting back a yawn. “I would’ve been up soon anyway.”

The curtains were not drawn shut and sunlight lit up the bedroom, so it could have been true. Zelena found strength to tug the corners of her mouth up and, in doing so, she stopped her anxiety from showing up.

She stepped in balancing the tray on her hands and her sister, who was about to get out of bed, stopped dead in her tracks upon such a sight. She stared at the redhead shamelessly open-mouthed for several seconds, until Zelena saw no other option but to let out a nervous chuckle.

“Happy birthday,” she said, feeling such words strange in her tongue. Still, the brunette said nothing and she was forced to keep on, never letting go of her smile even though it had become more of a grimace now. “I’ve been told it’s customary to give people something on their birthday, but you’re making me doubt.”

That snapped Regina out of her daze. She seemed to take in Zelena’s fidgeting for the first time and hurried to close her mouth.

“Oh, of course. I mean, you didn’t have to, but thank you.” The mayor still sounded at a loss, but as she kept looking at her, she finally offered a smile, full and bright. There was a tenacious weight in Zelena’s stomach, though, as if she was doing something wrong nevertheless. “I really appreciate you bringing me breakfast to bed. Thanks so much, sis.”

Definitely, it was Regina’s praise what felt so wrong, the redhead realised at once. And not only because there was nothing extraordinary about what she had done, but also because her sister looked puzzled by the simple fact that Zelena had brought her anything at all.

“It’s nothing,” she replied nonchalantly, coming closer and handing out the tray. She wanted to say more, but words got stuck in her throat.

“Sure it is,” Regina said, stubborn as always. She took the tray and put it on her lap. “Sit with me so we can enjoy it. It looks delicious.”

“Oh, no. It’s for you. It’s my... my present for you.”

“I know,” the brunette reassured her, “but I’m not going to eat while you’re standing there. We can share.”

Zelena complied, relaxing a little after knowing her gesture was not being dismissed. Yet, her sister had to give her a look before she decided to take a waffle, being careful of not dropping any chocolate on the bedcover.

“Have you got plans for today?” she asked casually, remembering her conversation with her nephew.

“No. I may go out and buy some ice cream for Henry, though. He likes to celebrate my birthday. But apart from Snow, no one else knows about it and I’m planning on keeping it that way.” Zelena bit her lip, which reminded Regina of something. “How did you learn about it, by the way?”

Brown eyes narrowed, suspicious.

“Henry might’ve mentioned something,” was her only answer.

Regina rolled her eyes, forgetting her mild irritation a second later, when she tried the pancakes.

“Oh, I’m so glad you told me you can cook, sis.” The ginger let out a short laugh, not knowing what to answer, and shook her head, amused at her sister’s behaviour. “It probably means Robin also knows, either by Henry or Snow,” Regina went on, sighing.

They kept eating in silence for a few seconds, before Zelena dared ask the question that had been bothering her.

“Why don’t you want to celebrate it?”

The dark gaze pierced into hers and she felt uncomfortable, as if she was being evaluated.

“Did you ever watch some of the king’s birthday celebrations? Or Snow’s?” Regina finally asked.

Zelena just nodded, unsure of where all that was going. She understood her sister wanted nothing to do with memories from her past, but in Storybrooke, everything was different. Surely, she would have created better memories with Henry throughout the years. She said nothing, though, waiting for the other woman to be ready.

Regina sighed once again before speaking —that time, it sounded as if something was weighing her down.

“When I was little, birthday parties just meant I needed to behave extra ladylike. Of course, I’d enjoy the gifts and small treats, but I would’ve preferred my freedom. And when I became queen... It’s not that I wanted one of those huge royal balls, but the fact that I was the only one that didn’t have one only served as a reminder that I was nothing in that castle.”

Zelena looked down at the waffle still in her hand, biting her lip hard. She regretted having brought up the issue at all.

“I just want this day to be a quiet one. I don’t despise it anymore, but I don’t cherish it, either,” the mayor added after a long pause.

The redhead gulped and nodded again. She was failing to come up with the right response. Her sister continued eating and Zelena wondered where she found strength to keep going as if she had not just opened herself up.

“What about you?” Regina asked suddenly, breaking the silence. “I don’t even know when your birthday is.”

Blue eyes went wide open as she stared at the brunette. She would have thought it was obvious the date of her birth was unknown even to her.

“Neither do I,” she managed to utter.

“I didn’t mean...” the brunette trailed off, closing her eyes for a second and taking a deep breath before going on. “I know you may not know the exact date, but when did you use to celebrate it?”

“I didn’t,” was her sharp answer. Zelena left the rest of the waffle on the tray, feeling her stomach uneasy all of a sudden.

It was Regina’s turn to stare at her with eyes wide open and full of incredulity.

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

The honesty in the brown eyes made what little anger she could have harboured fade away. She took a pinch of the discarded waffle to earn some time before replying.

“It’s okay,” Zelena told her. Then, more resolutely, she added, “Really, I don’t mind. Just stop looking at me like that. You’re surprised.”

To her annoyance, shock on Regina’s face grew until it was plainly written on her features. And so was pity.

“How wouldn’t I? You’ve never celebrated your birthday.”

“Why would anyone want to celebrate the day I...?” She had begun to ask genuinely confused, but stopped when surprise definitely left Regina’s eyes and the brown orbs were fully filled with pity. It was not necessary she finished her question, though, because the brunette had already guessed it.

Zelena was not used to that soft understanding being directed at her. Yet, rather than warm her, Regina’s gaze was burning her. She was about to make some excuse to leave and put an end to that conversation when the brunette shifted from her position, putting the tray away and leaning forward. She almost groaned when Regina took her hands, but in the end she only let out a short sigh and fixed her gaze on their intertwined fingers. Her sister meant well, so she would endure whatever emotional speech she was about to hear. The former Queen had better consider it part of her birthday present, too.

“I do. I want to celebrate my big sister’s birthday.”

The straightforward statement caught her by surprise and she froze. Slowly, she looked Regina in the eye, gulping as she held onto her hands as well.

“Well, too bad, isn’t it?” she blurted out after a moment, trying to crack a smile.

It was intended to be a joke, but her attempt failed miserably. She had never thought she would feel like a disappointment over a topic she had given so little thought to.

“Why?” Regina asked in return, her voice impossibly light. “Not knowing the actual date doesn’t mean you can’t pick one.”

“Why are you so adamant about making up a date for my birth? You don’t even like yours.”

Zelena tried to swallow the lump in her throat and bury her emotions deep down. She tried to keep her composure in both her words and gestures. Her brain was telling her to get the hell out of there before it was no longer possible and yet, she just held on tighter.

“Apparently, though, I still get treats on this day,” the brunette replied, pointing at the tray on her bedside table. “I want the same for you. Besides, we’re not making anything up. You were born on some day. You just get to decide which one.”

Zelena felt overwhelmed, although the feeling was not as oppressing as other times and tears did not make their dreaded appearance.

As long as she had known Regina, she had wanted everything her little sister had. Even now, when she knew it was not the fairy tale she had envisioned, she could not help being jealous of her current life from time to time. It was a pretty good one, in her opinion. And, suddenly, yet another portion of it was being handed out to her. And there was no cost, no price to pay. She was not sure she was ready to take it.

“I— I don’t know. How would we choose it?” she asked, hesitation clear in her voice.

Regina became pensive and Zelena felt very self-conscious. They had too many bigger issues to be wasting their time discussing that. However, before she could bring it to their attention, the brunette took the initiative again.

“What’s your favourite season?”

“I don’t know,” she repeated at once, taken aback by the question. At the pointed look she received, though, she stopped to think about it. “Winter, I suppose. Or spring,” she finally replied, still not very sure. Regina took it anyway.

“All right. Why don’t you pick spring equinox, then? It’s the day winter ends and spring begins.”

“Just like that?” Zelena could not help checking and felt a strange relief when her sister just nodded. “It’d be nice,” she admitted, offering a little smile.

The brunette smiled back and, then, she looked at the clock on her bedside table.

“We should go downstairs or Henry will be here soon complaining about why his breakfast is cold.”

Zelena smiled wider, both at the mention of her nephew and at her sister rightly assuming she had already made breakfast for him, too.

“Let me get this,” she said as she got up and took the tray. “You’re the birthday girl after all, aren’t you?”

Regina smirked and got out of bed as well, putting on a robe. As they went to leave the bedroom, the younger woman came closer and quickly kissed her cheek. Zelena had to grip the tray harder so that she would not drop it.

“Thanks for the present, sis.”

The redhead was still frozen on the spot, but she could have sworn her sister’s smirk had just acquired a very smug turn.

* * *

Regina suspected nothing of her surprise birthday party. Henry had wished her a happy birthday and told her he would give her his present later. Meanwhile, Zelena had tried to convince herself the party truly had nothing to do with her, even if she was on charge of setting up the table and the house. She did not think her sister would take kindly to the idea and, after how well things had gone in the morning, she would rather not see the mood sour.

Another thing she worried that would sour the mood was herself. She should have told Henry she had no experience with birthdays and, therefore, she was not the person to do this. He would probably have answered that the event would be similar to Thanksgiving or Christmas, just less formal, though. She covered her face, running her hands across her hair, desperate. It did not really matter whether she messed it up or not, Regina would have a tense party because of her presence anyway. She had not seen Snow and Emma since Christmas and the circumstances in which she had seen David were not much better.

A knock on the front door startled her out of her thoughts. It must be whoever was to bring the items for the party. Not knowing what Charming she loathed to encounter most, she opened the door. She found out her dread had been unnecessary as Tink greeted her beaming as usual and with her hands full.

“Hi, I also bring some snacks Henry told me to buy,” the blonde said right away.

Her easy smile calmed Zelena down quickly. It was a relief to see it was her who would help her set up the party.

Zelena let her in and, without preamble, they got on with it. Tink could have an acid humour sometimes, especially when she talked to Regina, but the redhead found all her chats with the fairy refreshing and light. That was the reason why she did not fear any uncomfortable topics would be brought up. Indeed, if Tinker Bell knew about her brief escape, she was tasteful enough not to mention it.

It did not take long for them to finish and so, they still had a couple of hours until everyone came. They made themselves comfortable in the living room, hardly having trouble filling the silence. Tink was showing her the songs she had talked about weeks ago when the telephone rang and broke the atmosphere. It was not a common occurrence, so Zelena picked it up not knowing very well what to expect.

“Yes?” she answered as she felt Tink eyeing her curiously.

“Aunt Zelena.” It was clearly Henry’s voice, although there was a lot of noise in the background. “I need to ask you a favour. You need to make the cake.”

He spoke so fast that the redhead had no time to even greet him. When she managed to utter a strangled ‘What?’, the boy was already talking again.

“I’ll tell you the story when we arrive, but you need to make it. Mom will have ingredients there. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Henry, wait. Why—”

The background noise on the other side of the line stilled and Henry cut her off.

“Gotta go. Gonna try to avoid Mom finding out.”

With that, the line went dead. She just stared down at the phone in her hand, not quite believing what had just happened.

“Is there a problem?” Tink asked suddenly, snapping her out of it.

The redhead turned to her.

“Henry wants me to make the cake.”

“Oh, what flavour? I can’t cook, not with these appliances anyway, but I can try to help,” the fairy happily chipped in, oblivious to Zelena’s worry.

“I can’t,” she answered, swallowing.

All of a sudden, the ginger felt very cold. She silently cursed that day for bringing out in the open so many of her fears and insecurities.

“Oh. Then, we do have a problem,” Tink kept on, neither sounding especially worried nor noticing how pale the other woman had become. “But I thought Regina said you cooked sometimes?” she asked, confused.

Zelena shook her head, having no strength left to explain herself. She hung the phone and sat down, closing her eyes briefly. She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts before looking up at Tinker Bell.

“No, I can cook,” she said, “but I can’t do this.” Then, she stared at the blonde more intently, deep in thought. “Well, maybe if you’re there, too, it’ll be as if Regina was there...” she started thinking out loud.

“What are you talking about?” Tink asked once again, bewildered.

“Don’t you get it?” the other woman snapped, anger present in her voice. “The others won’t eat anything I’ve cooked on my own.”

“That’s nonsense, Zelena,” the fairy stated calmly. “It’s been quite some time and they know you cook for Regina and her son—”

“Well, it doesn’t mind,” she cut her off, beginning to feel a light heat on her cheeks. “You’re going to help, aren’t you?”

“Of course,” said Tink, nodding and forcing a smile to light up their conversation.

They went to the kitchen. Henry had said nothing about any sort of favourite flavour and she did not even know how the cake could be decorated. She had not much experience baking. She had made some apple pies with Regina —and, while the brunette might be comfortable with those jokes, Zelena would have to be crazy to do the same. There were other fairly similar cakes made with fruits, but she had run out of blueberries that very morning and there was not much of anything else. Meat pie also crossed her mind and she ruled it out right away with a grimace.

Lacking any good ideas, Tink proposed to search on the internet. Fortunately, Regina’s computer had no password and the blonde knew enough to do some research. The two of them discussed the different options sitting on the couch in the mayor’s home office.

“What about this?” Zelena pointed out at a chocolate one after having ruled out others more elaborated for taking up too much time. “The Oreo cookie icing could serve as decoration.”

The blonde agreed and they both let out matching relieved sighs. Regina had not that specific brand, but the redhead took another bag of cookies that looked similar and hoped it would work.

They worked non-stop and were thankful when the other guests arrived half an hour later than expected. By then, all was set and nothing looked rushed.

Regina would tell her later that they had ended up confessing they were going to her house to celebrate her birthday —Snow was still terrible at lying, at least to Regina. However, she had not thought there would be anything planned and so, her surprise when she came in was real.

In the end, Zelena had not had much time to worry about the others’ reaction, since most of her time had been consumed by the worry about whether they could have the cake on time. What little worry she had harboured, it had been for nothing, though. The cake and the rest of food were good, as Roland very enthusiastically put into words.

“I love it! When’s the next birthday?”


	16. Chapter 16

After Emma had broken the oven trying to make a cake for Regina’s birthday with David, the mayor had decided to step up and resume their magic lessons. Whereas the blonde saviour had no problem focusing her magic when she needed it for a spell, she still had trouble controlling it when her guard was down.

Thus, they had been working on it for a couple of weeks. They usually practised in the forest or in Regina’s vault, since the apartment soon proved to be too crowded for that sort of thing. Besides, the brunette had insisted on leaving any institutional buildings out of it.

Meeting to practise magic was a prearranged plan of theirs and it was also the reason why Snow’s call caught Regina by surprise that afternoon. Her following suggestion shocked her even more. Still hesitating, she just answered she would see what she could do. It was not that she had never come up with a similar idea, but she had never allowed herself to entertain it.

Regina went to the living room, where Henry was doing his homework while Zelena lay on the couch reading a book.

“Come on,” she said, kissing her son’s head. “It’s time to go to Snow’s.”

He smiled up at his mother. He enjoyed taking care of baby Neal, so he immediately got up and started to put his stuff back in his backpack.

“Enjoy,” her sister said, barely looking over her book.

Regina smirked, preparing herself to fully relish the moment.

“You’re coming, too.”

Henry looked at her, surprised. Zelena just buffed —she did not even look up that time.

“Ha ha. Very funny, Regina,” she deadpanned.

The brunette let her smirk deepen as she came closer to the couch. Without another word, she plucked the book from her sister’s hands, earning a half-hearted yell of protest. The glare she received was quite felt, though.

“I’m serious, sis.”

Zelena’s face remained defiant —she was still confident that it was all a very elaborate prank. And yet, as seconds passed and she saw the brunette did not back down, her eyes became wider and colour drained from her face.

“O— Okay, I’ve taken the bait. Now, you’re kidding, right?”

“Nope,” Regina replied, smugly popping the ‘p.’ “Snow invited you herself.”

Zelena’s face, with her eyes wide open and her mouth hanging, was utterly comical, but the other woman felt bad because it was also nakedly honest. She saw Henry’s frown and decided to hide her own smile.

“You have to come, Aunt Zelena!” her son finally cut in, obviously having overcome his confusion and delighted with the idea.

“Do I have to?” the redhead asked —in what was dangerously close to a whine— and turned back to her sister. Seeing uncertainty in her blue eyes, Regina sobered up quickly.

“I’m not going to force you to do anything. So, if you can say ‘no’ to your nephew, you’re free to stay.”

Regina knew it was a low blow, since Henry was already making his best puppy dog eyes. Zelena looked from one to another several times, until she forfeited with a sigh.

“Do I need to change?”

Regina shook her head, hiding a little smile.

“You’re fine,” she assured.

She was not worried, or so she tried to tell herself. So far, there had been no problems between the Charmings and Zelena, so she had no motives to worry.

They got in her car and the redhead’s fidgeting only worsened as they came closer to the apartment.

“How long will we stay?” she finally asked as Regina parked.

“I don’t know. A couple of hours, I guess, maybe more. I need to go with Emma for her lesson, so it depends—”

“You aren’t going to be there?” Zelena cut her off, alarmed.

“No, I thought you knew,” she replied, slightly shifting in her seat.

“If I had, I would’ve never agreed to this!” the ginger exclaimed, only to assert a second later, “I can’t go in.”

The brunette just sighed, turning around completely to face her sister, sat in the backseat.

“Cut the drama. Nothing’s happened until now. It’ll be fine.”

To her surprise, Zelena looked away from her and fixed her gaze on Henry, who was also watching her from the passenger seat.

“You have to tell her,” she said abruptly.

“Tell me what?”

Regina looked from one to another, scrunching up her nose in confusion. She was starting to sense the conversation had just taken a turn for the worse.

“Something did happen,” was all Zelena offered.

The brunette looked pointedly at her son.

“Okay, I want to know, Henry.”

The boy rolled his eyes and she frowned deeply in response.

“Aunt Zelena and Mom argued on Christmas Day while you were gone. Grandma, too.” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her sister’s reaction —she had already blushed when Henry had rolled his eyes, but now she was bright red. Regina’s focus on the ginger ashamedly lowering her head gave Henry enough time to go on. “But nothing happened, Mom. You and Emma used to argue all the time as well.”

“And if nothing happened, why have both of you lied to me?” she asked, taking a deep breath to rein in her temper.

“She wanted to tell you,” Henry hurried to say. “I made her promise not to. I didn’t want to ruin your day.”

Briefly, Regina remembered that night her sister had gone upstairs just after Henry. When she had come back, she had looked drained of all her energy. She had not given much thought to it back then, but now, she connected the dots quickly.

She took another deep breath. She was annoyed because they had hidden it from her, but the truth was that Zelena was an adult. She guessed the redhead owed her nothing if the situation had not gone any further.

“Sweetheart, you know you can’t lie to me, even if you have good intentions. If things happen, we face them. Something doesn’t have to be perfect in order to be good.”

He nodded somewhat reluctantly. Yet, in the end, he apologised and sounded honestly sorry. Regina nodded, offering him a little smile before facing Zelena again. Her sister sighed and looked up, no doubt expecting a reprimand as well.

“It’s been months, it doesn’t change anything. Let’s go.”

“Wait...” Zelena stopped her, but said nothing else. Still, her eyes were clearly telling everything Regina needed to know.

Rolling her eyes, she searched her purse impatiently until she took out her phone.

“Here, take it,” she said, handing it out to the petrified ginger. “If there’s any problem, call Emma and I’ll answer.”

Zelena took it wordlessly, although she let out what seemed like a relieved breath.

Henry was looking at them curiously. Once they got out of the car, he assured that nothing would happen. As if keeping that promise depended on him.

They climbed up the stairs and Regina knocked on the apartment door. Emma opened it, raising her eyebrows.

“You’re late.”

“By barely five minutes,” the brunette huffed, rolling her eyes once more.

“I know. It’s just that you’re always five minutes earlier,” retorted the blonde easily. Then, as they entered, she noticed the third newcomer. “Uh... No one told me we were expecting visit.”

Regina pushed down the suddenly protective feeling that threatened to open her mouth. She knew Emma had meant no harm with her comment.

“Ask your mother. I just went along with her idea.”

She could not bring herself to show her approval of it more openly, but it had made her heart swell with gratitude. It was why she came closer to Snow, wanting to have a word with her before going away.

The younger brunette got up from the couch, where she was with her husband. He had Neal on his arms as they watched television.

“Thank you, Snow,” she finally said. “I trust there’ll be no problem.”

“Uh, guys, are we still having Chinese food for dinner, then?” Emma cut in, shifting her weight from one foot to another.

“You didn’t tell me I’d have to go with your daughter to get food,” Regina replied at once, using their private joke in an attempt to defuse the growing tension. “You know how she gets on my nerves when ordering,” she kept complaining, glaring at Snow with no real heat.

“Come on, Regina, you know there would be a price. This family is based upon deals,” the former princess went along, smiling without restraint.

The mayor turned around to go, putting on a show of rolling her eyes, which elicited some reproachful coughs from Henry.

“So, Chinese food everybody?” Her gaze wandered across the apartment. The only one who did not nod was her sister, too busy pulling her sleeves down in order to conceal her anxiety. Regina did not call her out, though, knowing she liked that type of food and would not want to be left in the spotlight.

Later, only years of practice on both parts made it possible for her and Emma to have a decent lesson despite their shared worry. Even though she could not fool the blonde, she could focus on their task enough for Emma not to bring up the topic during it. Getting food was another story, of course.

“Do you think they’re okay?”

Regina took a second to answer.

“My sister’s not murdering anyone in their sleep these days, Emma,” she finally said in a dismissive voice.

“Ugh, this is no joke, Regina. I know, and Henry speaks really well of her. Still, it makes me uncomfortable she’s near my brother. Hell, sometimes, even thinking she’s near the kid makes me nervous.”

Regina swallowed, looking at her. It was not hard to understand where her worry was coming from and yet, she had to restrain herself from defending the redhead hotly.

“They’ll be fine,” she answered, leaving no room for doubt. “I’m more worried that, if it turns out to be a bad experience, Zelena will withdraw further into her shell. She needs to open up beyond me and Henry.”

She had not planned on confessing that, although she realised she had been dying to share her concern with someone else. She had just not been expecting that someone to be Emma. The blonde looked at her knowingly and, for the first time, relaxed ever so slightly.

“Talking from experience, huh?”

Regina nodded and they remained silent for a moment. As they moved forward in the line and it was finally their turn to order, the brunette glanced at the other woman, but could not guess what she was thinking. Maybe, behind those clear eyes that were more often than not clouded with something between longing, sadness and the ever-present worry, Emma was wondering why they never got to rehabilitate villains before they wrecked their lives.

They did resume their chat eventually, choosing lighter topics. Yet, it died out when they were close to the apartment. The sheriff took out her keys and opened the door. Regina could have sworn they both held their breath as it opened.

The scene that greeted them could not have looked more normal. They were all in the living room watching television: Snow was on the couch with a soundly asleep Neal, sitting next to David and Henry, while Zelena was in an armchair. The redhead had a mug in her hands and offered her sister a slight tug of her lips when they entered.

“We bring dinner. How have things been around here?” asked Emma right away.

Regina would have denied it, but she waited near the blonde for an answer feeling her mouth dry with anticipation.

“Okay. It’s been a nice evening,” Snow whispered and there was no trace of irony in her voice. “I’m going to put him to sleep. Why don’t you set the table meanwhile?”

David accompanied his wife upstairs while Emma and Henry went to the kitchen to get cutlery and plates, so the sisters got some time alone.

“How are you holding up?” Regina asked, taking advantage of it.

“Fine.” Zelena toyed with her mug for a second before putting it down. “I think I overreacted earlier. Sorry,” she muttered, taking out of her jean pocket Regina’s phone. She handed it out to the brunette, who could not bite back a smirk.

“Just a little,” she humoured her. “I guess I could’ve found another way to tell you.”

Zelena began to deny it, but Henry and Emma came back and both sisters silently agreed on taking a rain check on their chat.

Dinner went surprisingly smooth. There, the mayor saw something she had not seen in any of the previous family meals. Not once did Zelena withdraw from conversation. She answered calmly and politely. Straight away, Regina decided it would not be her who would bring up the Christmas argument, neither to her sister nor the Charmings.

* * *

Regina offered her a glass of wine when they got home, which Zelena readily accepted. It was late, so Henry had stayed at the apartment. Thus, only the two of them were in the ride back and yet, the brunette had not asked. She had waited until they were comfortably on the couch —apparently, their new favourite spot. Unconsciously, Zelena put her knees up as she took a seat, but she lowered them and crossed her legs when she took the wine. Regina sat looking at her with her legs under her body. She looked rather carefree and, for a moment, Zelena thought she would stay silent. She was wrong, though. The brunette would not give up finding out what had really happened that evening so easily.

“How was it?”

The question was nonchalant. Still, the former witch felt its full weight. She took a sip and found it a little hard to swallow.

“Fine,” she finally replied, shrugging and matching her sister’s voice.

“I’d think a couple of hours with the Charmings would get more than a ‘fine.’ ” Zelena remained quiet, not knowing what to say, and Regina rolled her eyes impatiently. “_Fine_. What did you do?”

Not having been ready to hear those words, she flinched. Before she could think of hiding the hurt look in her eyes, she was looking up at the brunette. And just like that, her negative thoughts and feelings faded away from her mind.

Her still ever-present mistrust had misunderstood Regina’s question. The younger woman was not accusing her, but rather interested in what she had occupied her time with.

Instead of attempting to excuse her immediate reaction, Zelena sighed and looked down at her hands, only to look up again before speaking. The atmosphere felt chilly all of a sudden.

“Henry and I were looking through some of his comic books. Then, David joined us. A while later, Snow made some hot cocoa for Henry and her, coffee for her husband and tea for me. And we watched a movie until you arrived,” she detailed, surprisingly calm.

For a moment, she had truly considered being honest with Regina. In the end, she had not strictly lied to her, either, although she had never felt so bad for hiding information.

Information such as that it had been a terrifying evening after all, just because it had not felt nearly as terrible as it should have.

Certainly, she had not known what to expect from the Charmings. She had hardly had time to think about what ulterior motives Snow could have to invite her. At the very least, she had thought they would make her visit as uncomfortable as possible. She had been wrong. Despite harbouring no illusions of forgiveness on their part, they had not acted hostile towards her at all, instead letting her enjoy a nice, if very awkward, evening.

She would have wanted to tell Regina that, even so, it had been terrifying to be out again and without her sister’s presence. She would never have expected that. She felt ridiculous just by thinking about it.

She was itching to put down the glass and wrap her arms around herself. It did feel chilly. And she was frozen on the spot.

Zelena had always wanted a family —had dreamt of a nice family since she was a little girl—, but she had never known what it entailed to have it. Now, she knew it would not have mattered whether she had been ready to offer anything or not when Regina had taken her in. The brunette had asked for nothing. And yet, at the same time, Zelena felt her sister had asked her everything —to stop pretending, to drop all her masks and defences, to change who she had learnt to be. And they had all accepted those calm months as a sign that she was trying.

What if she was not, though?

The redhead gulped and offered a tight smile, hoping the other woman would mistake it for shyness.

She was not the pathetic girl she had once been. She no longer longed for a family —did she? After all, she had wanted to travel back in time so she would be the one that would grow up with Cora. The ginger did not want to talk about her biological mother, though. Neither about her childhood nor anything related to family. Not right then and not with Regina.

Because if she did, she was sure she would put her foot in her mouth and end up talking about how she had been the only one in the room considered not good enough by her biological mother. Or even worse, she would confess to soft brown eyes she had realised she was jealous of Henry, because for him biological and adoptive had the same meaning. He had been so damn happy for having all of them there —even her, in the middle of his perfect family— and she had got envious.

She had not the furthest clue how Regina expected her to fit in that family.

“So rough day, I guess.”

The brunette’s words stopped her train of thought. For a moment, she was confused by what they had been talking about. Once she got hold of herself, she tried to change the subject.

“Did you accomplish what you hoped for today?”

The question came from nowhere and Zelena cringed. She herself did not even know what she was referring to.

“Sure. At the end, I gave Emma a little scare and she managed to keep her magic under control. She’s making progress and she won’t need many more lessons,” Regina answered easily, choosing for her.

She was looking down, but she thought she could hear the self-proud smirk in her sister’s words. The redhead did not find the strength to keep the conversation going and so, a dense silence fell on them.

“You seem to be cold. Why don’t you come here? We can share.”

Zelena finally looked up, once again startled by her words. Regina had a blanket in her hands and was staring back at her. Her first instinct was to deny it. However, she was really cold —the sort of cold that would not go away in her warm bed.

Slowly, she got up. She drained her wine and put down the glass. When she took a seat again, she was almost on the same spot. Regina rolled her eyes.

“Sis, it’s a blanket, not a rug. You’ll need to come closer.”

Zelena rolled her eyes as well, as if the brunette was being utterly ridiculous and the prospect of getting closer did not make her feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. Still stiffly, she scooted next to her sister and they covered themselves with the blanket. Some seconds passed before the brunette let out a small sigh.

“I’ve always loved the quiet of the night,” she whispered, as if she was afraid of breaking it. She wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.

Zelena had nothing to answer, so she didn’t. Little by little, she relaxed again. That is, until she felt the slightest pressure on her shoulder. She tensed right away and the weight disappeared. Looking at her side, she felt a pang of regret. She took a deep breath and forced herself to lean back and calm down. Nothing happened straight away and regret only became heavier. However, then, the weight reappeared and Regina rested her head on Zelena’s shoulder. And the redhead discovered there was no room for feeling inadequate with that sort of warmth on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I'd love to know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

Works of fate were funny —although maybe not the sort of funny that would make one laugh, thought Zelena.

She had not been able to get to sleep that night, which was odd, since it had been a perfectly normal, boring day. Yet, for some reason, she would not fall asleep. Tired of tossing and turning, she went downstairs to get a glass of water.

The redhead liked the quiet of the night, too. Still, she had always associated nights with cold. Now, nights could also be warm and did not have to feel lonely. As she stepped into the kitchen barefoot, she realised neither the cool floor nor the cold water dismissed the warmth she felt because both Henry and Regina were just upstairs sleeping peacefully.

As she took small sips from her glass, she looked at the calendar on the wall. Out of habit, she thought about the date —since it was two in the morning, she supposed she could already consider it was the following day.

March 20th.

It rang a bell, of course it did. Zelena only needed a second to realise it was spring equinox, the date they had chosen for her birthday.

Open-mouthed, she stared at the calendar for a bit. She was lost in thought until a shiver ran up and down her spine. Perhaps it was too cold after all to wear nothing but her pyjamas. It snapped her out of it and, shaking her head, she put the glass in the sink.

She did not manage to shake off those confusing thoughts, though, even when she got back in bed. It seemed she was condemned to spend a sleepless night.

It was her birthday and she had almost forgotten it. It was not as if she did not remember the date —she did. She had just failed to realise that days had passed by so fast. And now that she knew, she could not help looking forward to it. It was utterly unsettling and ridiculous, but it kept her awake nonetheless.

Certainly, she did not expect anything special to happen tomorrow. If she had almost forgotten the event herself, how could she expect others to remember it? Besides, as much as she appreciated Regina’s sentiment when they had picked the date, she had no memories attached to it. It should mean nothing. And yet, a tickle ran through her stomach thinking that her birthday had finally come.

Zelena did not know what time it was when she managed to fall asleep, but it was past ten when she woke up the following morning, still feeling exhausted. Yawning, she got up and put on her robe, only to see herself in the mirror and so, the havoc that turning all night had wreaked in her curls. Annoyed, she put it up in a ponytail.

She got out of her bedroom. Noise from the kitchen could be heard and it seemed to her that whispers became more frantic as she climbed down the stairs.

She entered the kitchen, but stopped in her tracks when mother and son turned to her as if they had been caught. Confused, she saw Henry sending her a guilty grin, while Regina started to say somewhat apologetically,

“We should’ve had it ready by now, but we slept in.”

Zelena supposed she was referring to breakfast, but her sheepish tone still made no sense.

“Why should you?” she asked, leaning against the door frame.

At her question, those matching grins became impossibly wider and brighter.

“Happy birthday, Aunt Zelena!”

Her mouth hung open. They had remembered it, after all.

“Happy birthday, dear,” Regina said, smirking ever so slightly.

Finally, she found the strength to close her mouth and send them both a tentative smile in return.

“Thank you. You didn’t need to bother,” she replied, coming in and taking a seat. She realised it was suddenly very hard to fight the smile that wanted to show up with no restraint.

“It wasn’t a problem,” Henry hurried to assure, somehow as excited as she. “We’ve made chocolate chip pancakes, your favourite.”

Zelena did not even know whether she had a favourite type of pancakes, but it was one of the boy’s, so it worked for her.

“Thank you, Henry, really,” she repeated.

Regina put on a plate the last ones. Then, she poured tea in a cup and coffee in another and took a seat as well.

“Can we give you your presents already? Mom wants to wait until...” he trailed off as his mother sent him a mildly warning glare.

At another time, the redhead would have wanted to find out what it meant, but her mind had stopped working at one word.

“Presents?” she asked, gulping.

“Why don’t we enjoy breakfast first?” Regina cut in.

Her words were too late, though. Nervousness had Zelena’s heart in a vicious grip. Without knowing why, she put another piece in her mouth at once. She tried to chew it slowly, to enjoy it, but her mind did not stop trying to understand the idea that, once more, she was going to get presents for no reason. Before Glinda had given her the pendant, she did not think she had received any gifts at all. Just the fact that they had thought of making her a nice breakfast would have been enough. Did they not realise she had nothing to offer in return?

But of course they did —they had to. Since Regina had brought her there, Zelena had been trying to figure out ulterior motives that did not exist. She should know by then that they were both genuine in everything they did. If they said it was no problem, they meant it. Besides, they seemed to be enjoying as much as her. They were not expecting anything in return, although that did not stop the redhead from wanting to make it up to them.

Once those first bleak thoughts had gone away, she found herself able to smile a bit more freely and to truly enjoy breakfast.

Later, they went to the living room. Again, that tickling feeling of anticipation showed up and she bit her lip, trying without knowing why to suppress a grin —to keep her feelings under control. She guessed it was being more difficult than usual because she was not used to masking pure happiness.

Breathing in, she sat on the couch. Her sister sat next to her and Henry was the one to go to retrieve the presents. The awkward silence did not last long because he came right away, but Zelena would have liked to fill it anyway. She could just not come up with anything to talk about. Thus, the boy’s arrival was met with a relieved smile on her part. He handed her two gifts and, for a moment, Zelena almost panicked. She managed to control it, though, taking them both and leaving one on her lap. Once again, she had to remind herself she needed to meet no expectations.

Little by little, she unwrapped it. There was a swirl of unidentified feelings inside her, which was fine, because she wanted to name none. She removed the bright paper and saw a dull cardboard box. She stared at it for a second, confused, until she remembered presents were sometimes inside the wrapped box. She opened it and took out a white mug. There was something written on it and she turned it around in order to read it.

“Where there is tea, there is hope,” she murmured.

For a moment, she just stared at it dumbfounded. Then, all of a sudden, she let out a loud laugh at the irony of the message.

Perhaps if she had been laughing for longer or focused on Henry, she would have missed a very important reaction. Regina relaxed at once. When she looked over her, the brunette had her trademark smirk on, but Zelena had unmistakably seen out of the corner of her eye how her shoulders had dropped when she was sure that the redhead had liked the present. Had it always been like that? She could not tell. She had certainly never thought someone would be worried about whether she liked a gift or not.

She shook off those thoughts, focusing on the present. Emotions had already ruined her mask, for she could no longer restrain a big smile. She opened the second present wordlessly, allowing herself to feel a childlike excitement.

That time, the box beneath the paper had printed words and pictures on it. The words rang a bell, but it was the picture what made her mouth drop. Incredulous, she looked up at Regina and Henry, but their faces gave no sign that it was a joke. She hurried to open it, taking out the mobile phone right away.

“Really?” she whispered, running her fingers across its smooth surface.

The mayor put a hand on her arm, prompting her to lift her gaze.

“Yes,” she assured, her voice warm and honest.

How well those adjectives fitted her sister and how weird that statement still sounded.

Excited, Henry offered to teach her how it worked immediately. The redhead accepted, matching his enthusiasm —she could not help herself. Regina left them, saying she needed to get dressed and go out. The brunette did not tell them where she was going, but when she returned an hour later, she was carrying a couple of bags from the store. By then, Henry had finished explaining the most complex mysteries of her new electronic device and they were taking silly pictures of themselves.

Regina put away the bags in the kitchen and entered the living room. She was not especially serious and yet, Zelena knew before she opened her mouth she would spoil the mood.

“Okay, we need to tell you something. It’s not a bad thing, so don’t panic, okay?”

“Why would I if it isn’t something bad?” she asked in return, but dread was already starting to settle in her gut.

The brunette took a deep breath, but Henry cut in first.

“Could you guys stop with the drama? It’s your birthday, so we’re throwing a birthday party for you,” he said matter-of-factly. A silence full of unsaid things followed.

Zelena opened her mouth, but she realised she was just going to repeat Henry’s last words. She really wished she would stop doing that. Thus, she closed it again and it was the boy who decided to break the quiet several seconds later.

“It’s really not a bad thing, Auntie,” he reassured her, putting a hand on her arm.

The redhead nodded, still somewhat absent-mindedly, patting his hand to let him know she truly appreciated the feeling.

“I know. Just wasn’t expecting it,” she stated, her voice low albeit controlled. She had to dry a couple of tears that had escaped without her permission, though. “Is someone coming?” She hoped against hope the answer would be negative. Suddenly, she understood much better why Regina did not want to make a fuss for her birthday.

“Robin, Roland and Tink. No one else,” the brunette replied promptly. Then, she gave her an encouraging little smile and the comfort of a hand over hers. “Don’t worry. Henry and I have gotten this.”

Zelena gulped, nodding without thinking. Her mind was someplace else. That was what she had almost lost when she had run away impulsively to see Rumplestiltskin. Regina had been forgiving that time —and the time before that, when she had really tried to escape. Or on every occasion she had snapped at her. Regina had been extremely forgiving, but her patience must have a limit. Who could tell what would happen next time Zelena made a mistake?

“I— I need a moment,” she blurted out, not liking how close to begging she sounded, but anxious to be alone. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed.”

“Of course.”

Quickly, Regina drew back her hand. The ginger looked at her only to see disappointment flashing across her eyes. It was gone within a blink. Still, it was the sort of feeling Zelena had been trying to avoid causing all along. Henry gazed at her worriedly, but she could not get another single word out. So she got on her feet and, after hesitating for a second, picked up her presents before withdrawing.

How she wished her sister was right, she thought as she entered her room. Yet, it truly seemed she was destined to ruin everything —to burn every good thing that came to her. If only it were that she made a fool of herself when someone tried to make her happy... But no, she also had to get angry or to storm upstairs to her room.

Tears spilled out of her eyes and she could not help weeping bitterly as soon as she closed the bedroom door behind her. She sat down against it, unable to take another step forward. She was so afraid of what her next mistake would be that only thinking about it did not let her breathe. She put down the mug and the phone on the floor, so that she could hug herself.

It was not Regina and Henry’s fault. Zelena knew it was just all due to their understanding of family. And yet, she wished they would not try so hard. If they left her alone, she would know how to act and could stop humiliating herself.

Eventually, there were no more tears and she was calmer. However, it was calm accompanied by vast sadness. She picked up the phone, toying with it until the screen lit up and showed her lock screen picture —one of the many she had taken with Henry earlier.

Zelena remembered the moment she had changed her assessment of the boy —when he proved her he really had a golden, brave heart. He had just seen the Wicked Witch escaping and falling down and he had not hesitated to come closer and touch her. Her father had been so scared of her and her magic that he did not dare touch her —least of all, to comfort her. She had never harmed him and yet, it was in Regina’s house where she had been touched most.

She should be brave like Henry, she thought all of a sudden. Maybe she did not need to earn her keep in the way she had always envisioned. Perhaps she should just step up instead of crawling back into her shell. She was safe there, but maybe she could trust she would be safe outside, too.

She let out a soft sigh, wiping away the already dry tear tracks. She knew what she should do next.

She took a quick shower, putting on comfortable clothes, as she would have time to dress up later. Trying to muster up all her confidence, she went downstairs. She found Regina and Henry on the couch, playing video games. The mayor was almost completely lying on her son, but he did not look like he was going to complain.

Zelena cleared her throat when neither of them heard her enter.

“I’m sorry for earlier,” she stated awkwardly. “Can I join you?”

“Sure,” answered Henry, happily pointing at a controller. “We’re just racing for a while.”

She took a seat, still feeling the atmosphere a bit stifling. Regina kept staring at her, which did not help.

“We can cancel the party if you want. I didn’t mean to overwhelm you,” the brunette finally said.

Zelena felt her eyes sting again, but tried to keep her composure.

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. What time are they coming?” By the end of her sentence, she had managed to give some strength back to her voice.

“Half past five.”

The redhead just nodded. It was still too early to her liking.

“By the way, I loved my presents,” she remembered suddenly, a faint blush covering her cheeks. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” they replied in unison.

For some reason, after the redhead’s words, they all went back to feeling relaxed and light-hearted. Maybe, as well as she could destroy, she could also amend, she pondered.

The rest of the afternoon just flew by. They ate Regina’s lasagne and Zelena soon learnt those two would not let her do any chores on her birthday. Not even her birthday cake, which they had already cooked. Later on, they watched a movie and lost track of time. Regina hustled them upstairs as it ended and they realised what time it was.

Once in her bedroom, Zelena would hate to admit history repeated itself, but after a while, she was still undecided as to what to put on. Another thing worried her more than being late.

“Aren’t you dressed yet?” Regina’s voice startled her out of her thoughts.

The brunette had showed up at her door suddenly. Of course, she was already dressed up, with her make-up applied and her hair perfectly done.

“I’m on it, sis,” she replied absent-mindedly. She still felt her judgemental gaze wandering across her room.

“I didn’t know you could choose your clothes from the vanity mirror, _sis_,” the brunette retorted, sassy as ever.

Zelena bit her lip, making a quick decision as she tried to get her own hair under some resemblance of control.

“Pick something, would you? I’m running late.”

“I know you are,” Regina said, rolling her eyes. Still, she came in and approached the wardrobe. After looking for a minute, she took out a light green dress. “This, for example?”

Zelena glanced at it on the mirror, barely nodding. Her hair would just not obey her and it was getting on her nerves.

“Okay, what’s the problem with you?” Regina came to her and took the brush from her hands. It was absurd, but she felt hopelessness invading her and she covered her face with her hands —all the while, wondering why nothing ever went well for her. She was trying.

“I can’t,” she said, refusing to clarify any further.

She heard a sigh and, then, felt a light weight on her shoulder. She looked up and her sister took back her hand, starting to run it across the red locks.

“It’s okay, sis. You know everyone. There’s no pressure.”

Zelena did not answer, feeling choked up by the knot in her stomach. A moment later, Regina was still brushing her hair very carefully. The ginger wondered whether she had noticed it. The brunette began to make a side braid as they remained silent. All of a sudden, her gentle fingers came to a halt.

“I... Is this okay? I think I’ve let myself get carried away.”

Zelena just nodded ever so slightly, unable to voice her feelings. Fingers kept working and she allowed herself to relax little by little. She understood nothing, but for once, perhaps that was all right.

The mayor left several minutes later, after she had finished doing her sister’s hair, so that the redhead could get dressed. Regina had assured her she looked fine and, besides, she was right. Their guests were people she had no reason to distrust.

Summoning her courage, she climbed down the stairs, where everyone was already gathered. Indeed, there was nothing to fear, only presents and smiles and the surreal feeling that it was for her. She had become used to Regina’s parties, but at that moment, as she thanked Tink for her gift, she realised she had been stiff scared because, that time, people were coming because of her.

As if she knew, Regina was rarely out of her sight. However, it was Henry who helped her the most, staying by her side, saying the right words when they would not come to her.

The party did not last long. And, despite having a good time, Zelena was thankful for it. She was exhausted and just wanted to call it a day, so she could go to bed. It was not what happened, though. None of them was hungry when dinner time arrived, since guests had gone away barely half an hour ago and they had all been eating cake and other snacks. Henry suggested watching a movie instead and she had not the heart to refuse.

Nevertheless, her nephew fell asleep midway through _The Incredibles_. Regina whispered they had watched it many times, so Zelena did not need to worry. After a few moments, she managed to convince Henry to go to bed.

“Go with him,” the redhead encouraged her, seeing her sister’s hesitation over whether to follow her dozing child or not. “Make sure he doesn’t sleep in his day clothes.”

They both shared an amused smile and, then, Regina left, too.

Zelena had lost all interest in the film, but she was no longer sure she wanted to return to the solitude of her room, despite her exhaustion. Thus, she stayed where she was, staring at the screen without actually seeing it.

She was still daydreaming when her sister came back. She did not notice the other woman’s presence until Regina sat next to her, giving her a good scare.

“Sorry, sis. I thought you’d heard me.”

The redhead only shook her head, focusing on her breathing. They both remained in silence for about ten minutes before Regina broke it.

“Don’t you like it?”

Startled, Zelena looked at her sister. When the brunette pointed at the television, she understood.

“Oh. No, it’s not that. I think I’ll just leave it for another day.”

Regina nodded calmly and paused it.

“Good, because I need to talk to you.”

She was serious and already facing her, so Zelena mirrored her posture, sitting crossed-legged as she tried to hide her uneasiness.

“Zelena, you can’t run this time. If you feel like it’s too much, just say so and we can talk it out,” Regina kept on in the same voice, firm but not unkind.

The redhead nodded, swallowing. Then, slowly, she reached out and rested her fingertips on Regina’s knee. She did not remember having initiated the contact with her sister before.

“I’m sorry for earlier,” she said honestly. “I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”

“You ruined nothing, you don’t need to be sorry.” Far more confident, Regina took her hands between both of hers.

“I should’ve been thanking you for the day, not storming out,” she retorted, letting out a bitter chuckle.

“It’s okay if you need your space. But I’d like to know what’s crossing your mind.”

Zelena nodded, not longer looking up because her eyes were started to sting.

“What did you want to talk about?” she managed to ask, her voice low but controlled.

Regina squeezed her hand as if she was truly afraid the redhead would flee.

“I’m going to take off the cuff.”

“What?” Just like last time, her question was more an exclamation. She looked up, not caring anymore if the brunette saw her wet eyes.

“I’m going to take off the cuff,” Regina repeated, slowly. “I’ve talked to the others. They’ve accepted. They’ve also agreed on letting you out.”

It seemed impossible, but Zelena’s eyes opened wider.

“What? I— It can’t be,” she stammered.

Regina nodded, not losing her patience, and started to brush her fingers against her sister’s hand.

“It’s a well-thought-out decision. You’ve been here for months and I think you’re ready.”

“I’m not,” she blurted out without thinking.

Regina offered her a tight smile, as if she had been expecting every one of Zelena’s reactions.

“I know it’s scary, but nothing will happen. You aren’t going to turn green.”

The redhead just stared into confident brown eyes, feeling shame eating her up. If only Regina knew what she still felt...

“The only condition is that you can’t go near Belle or Rumple. Under any circumstances.”

“He’ll kill me,” Zelena stated, suddenly finding a new argument to make her sister see reason. “Even without the cuff, I can’t protect myself.”

“He won’t harm you as long as you don’t go to him or Belle again,” Regina replied patiently. “Besides, if you run into any trouble, that’s what your new phone is for.”

More tears welled up in her eyes and Zelena knew she could not keep them at bay for much longer. Regina had really thought of it beforehand. She clearly had her arguments ready. And now, all her efforts would go to waste.

“May I?” her sister asked softly, pointing at the wrist covered by the cuff.

They were still holding hands. Biting her lip, Zelena drew back hers. She did not need to use strength, for Regina let her go.

“There’s something you don’t know,” she admitted. She could hardly focus on the fact that she was on the verge of crying.

“Okay. Tell me, then.”

Several tears broke free and Zelena wished she had never wanted to have the same things as her sister. She should not have given into the ridiculous idea of celebrating her birthday.

“I’m still jealous. And angry,” she blurted out. “I’m angry because I don’t know how to fit into this family and yet, you keep trying, you don’t give up. You already have people who care for you, so I don’t understand why you keep trying to get through to me.” Regina opened her mouth to cut in, but Zelena did not let her. “I’ve tried to be better, but I can’t. Not only do I get angry instead of grateful. I’m also...” The knot in her throat defeated her for a moment and shame coloured her cheeks. “I got jealous of Henry. He really has everything I never had. I can’t help it.”

She would never have thought that turning green would be the least of her worries. Yet, it was, because she did not want to envy her nephew —did not want those dark thoughts upon him.

Regina was shocked by her revelation, Zelena could tell. It only made her want to cry harder. She did not look down, though —she did not want to tear her eyes away while Regina’s kept being free of hatred, disappointment or disgust.

The silence seemed to stretch forever.

“Okay, let me ask you a question,” the brunette finally said, her voice still calm somehow. “Do you want to hurt Henry? Do you want him to go through the same as you did?”

“What?! Of course not! He doesn’t deserve that.”

“But aren’t you jealous? Don’t you want him to pay?” Regina kept insisting, as if she could not hear the horror in her voice.

“I don’t,” came her anguished answer. Her voice was trembling and she could not figure out what the other woman was playing at. “It doesn’t change the fact that I envy him, Regina.”

Her sister gave her a little smile that only confused Zelena further.

“Not all kinds of envy are bad and destructive. It’s natural for you to wish you’d had a good childhood and a supportive family. That’s well-meaning envy: you wish you’d have good things but you don’t want other people to suffer, too. It’s also normal not to know how to react to things you’ve never experienced. There’s no shame in that.”

The brunette seemed sure of every word she was saying and the redhead wondered how she would have found out those answers.

“I don’t want to hurt him,” Zelena confessed in a whisper, drying her tears with her hands.

“I’ve seen you with him. You won’t. Besides, you’re not alone,” Regina replied, smiling a bit wider. Again, she took her hand. “So, may I?” she asked once again after a moment.

The former witch hesitated. She needed more than a few seconds to process all Regina had said. However, she decided to trust her sister and, taking a deep breath, she nodded.

As she felt a firm knot in her stomach, she saw her sister letting go of her hand, encircling the cuff with her fingers and, carefully, taking it off.

Zelena let out a gasp, not having expected to feel such relief. It was like coming out to the surface and being able to breathe again. As if a fist had been constricting her lungs all along, but she had not truly realised until it had released itself.

She looked up, blinking, and the first thing she saw was Regina’s smile. Regina, who trusted her even though no one would have blamed her if she had not. Who believed Zelena could be better —could be more— than what she had been shown. The idea did not even cross the redhead’s mind, but suddenly, she was launching forward, enveloping her sister in a tight embrace.

“Thank you,” she whispered into her dark hair. She could feel how Regina slowly but firmly put her hands on her back and hugged her back. ‘Thank you, thank you’ was the only thought in her mind. And then, “I love you.”

As those three damn words slipped out of her mouth, Zelena realised she had said them out loud. She froze, getting out of their hug and sitting upright at once. The brunette was clearly taken aback and Zelena knew her own face was probably a mask of horror.

“I— I’m sorry,” she stammered out. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Regina blinked a couple of times, getting out of her stupor.

“Why?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious. Despite her apparent calmness, she looked a little pale.

Zelena gulped. The situation had been hard enough and, now, it was bound to become even more so. She had no idea how she would escape from it.

“I can’t love. I don’t know how to,” she replied, not having strength left to make up anything. Her gaze was fixed on her hands, which rested on her lap.

Her sister was quiet for a moment and the redhead started to wish her words had gone unheard.

“I thought the same some time ago,” Regina finally said. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but still, the ginger did not dare look up. “I realised I hadn’t loved Henry the right way and I didn’t know if I ever could.”

“It isn’t the same,” contradicted Zelena, shaking her head. “You did love Henry in the end. And you loved before him: Daniel, your father, Cora.”

“Didn’t you love your mother?”

She startled a little, as she always did when someone talked about her past. It was easy to forget everything she had confessed to Regina. The pain came suddenly, raw and unstoppable. Thus, even though she screwed her eyes shut, a tear escaped anyway.

“It was a long time ago,” she managed to reply, swallowing a sob. “She was a good person and I, merely an infant. What would I know about love when no one’s ever loved me?”

There, she had said it. Maybe Regina would agree with her then, finally putting an end to their painful conversation. She may even ask her to wear the cuff again, thinking twice about trusting someone who could not even feel love.

“Was that what he told you?”

She looked up, startled at the sudden fury she heard. Regina was pale and Zelena did not need to question whom she was referring to. She just nodded, drowning in memories about him declaring her mother had only taken care of her because she felt it was her duty, back at a time when she did not know what he really meant was that his wife had felt it was their duty to take in the poor baby abandoned in the road. Whenever Zelena had tried to show him any sort of affection, he had clearly stated what he thought about a wicked monster’s ability to love.

She said nothing about that, though. It was humiliating enough what Regina already knew and guessed. So she nodded wordlessly, looking down at her free wrist. However, her view was soon blocked by other hand. Regina’s hold forced her to gaze up and she noticed they were both trembling.

“Your mother loved you,” Regina assured her, her own brown eyes shining with unshed tears. “And you shouldn’t believe someone capable of saying such things to their child. Of course you can love, Zelena, everybody can. Only you know your feelings, so don’t let anyone’s opinion make you dismiss them.”

Her voice was strong and honest, as if the brunette believed any other notion about the topic was ludicrous. The older woman offered her a slight nod, feeling vaguely comforted and yet, oddly embarrassed, too.

“Everything’s learnt through experience,” Regina went on when Zelena did not answer, “and how to rightly love is no exception. You don’t have to feel ashamed of what you feel.” The mayor made a pause, pursing her lips. She was deep in thought for a whole minute, seemingly unable to decide how to continue. Zelena’s gaze wandered nervously around the living room. Maybe she should cut in, but she was very unwilling to speak up for the time being. “I’m not the best person to talk about this. I still have a long way to go, but... I know it may not seem like it, because I’m neither good at showing it nor at saying the words, but I...” Words failed her again and Regina wetted her lips, frustrated. Brown eyes locked into blue ones. “I do love you, sis.”

Those unexpected words stopped the swirl of emotions that had been fighting for Zelena’s attention. She opened her mouth slightly, utterly surprised, but before any sound could get out, she found herself enveloped in an embrace. Neither of them knew who had started it, but it honestly did not matter. That time, there was no hesitation over whether to hug tight or not.

“I love you, too,” Zelena whispered, as an overwhelming emotion threatened to shut her up.

She found out she truly felt at home for the first time ever.

* * *

In the end, Regina had to send her sister to bed as well. The stubborn redhead had insisted on staying with her, even though once she had managed to calm down, her eyes kept closing of their own accord. Regina, however, was really not feeling sleepy.

It was late, almost midnight, and tomorrow she had to work. Yet, she kept staring at her phone screen as if it would change anything. Finally, biting her lip, she decided to dial a phone number and press the call button. She had to wait several seconds until someone answered.

“Regina? What’s wrong?” Snow sounded tired and the mayor regretted having called her right away.

“Everything’s fine. Sorry, I have no idea why I called. I know it’s late.”

“Did something happen?” asked Snow again.

Regina took a second to find a suitable reply.

“I took off Zelena’s cuff and told her she’s allowed to get out now. Thanks for supporting me on this.”

She spoke quickly, feeling more and more ridiculous by the second.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but you know we trust you. How did she react?”

“Well enough, I guess. We were talking.” The older brunette made a pause. She did know why she had called —she was just not sure about letting the other woman know. “Zelena told me she loved me,” she blurted out.

Snow’s only answer was a shocked ‘Oh.’ Regina fidgeted with her free hand, already afraid of having made a mistake.

“I told her I loved her back,” she kept on, unable to stop now. “It’s been a long time since I’ve said those words to anyone but Henry. She needed it, though. And it’s not like I didn’t mean it, I did. It’s just... You know I care for all my family, right?”

Regina closed her eyes and leant her head back. When Snow started speaking on the other end of the line, she pictured a little, warm smile on her face.

“I do. And I’m... I’m happy for you.”

“I haven’t even said them to Robin yet.”

That thought had been in her mind since the moment she had told Zelena, but she had not been planning on saying so to Snow. She screwed her eyes tighter.

“There’s no pressure, Regina. Besides, I bet he’s happy with your showing your feelings rather than telling him.”

That time, Snow’s smile could clearly be heard in her voice and the mayor could not help smirking.

“Well, as I said, everything’s fine. I just wanted to let you know about the cuff. I’d better hung up now, though. It’s really late and I have a meeting first thing tomorrow.” She made a small pause, finally allowing a smile to sneak its way into her voice, too. “See you, Snow.”

As the line went dead, Regina reflected once again that their dynamic might not be the easiest one, but at moments like that, it felt completely worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Fun fact:** I have Zelena's mug and just this morning my cousin came to have breakfast with me and ended up using it, so I told him the story of how I'd got it. My friend Mary gave it to my on my birthday years ago —the idea of Henry and Regina giving Zelena a mug saying "Where there is tea, there is hope" was hers, too.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it, don't hesitate to leave a comment!
> 
> **Edited:** New vignette on _Imagine If..._: [The Popcorn Prompt](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465270/chapters/53656510).


	18. Chapter 18

The sight before her made Regina’s hair stand on end. She had known something was off from the beginning, but seeing her sister standing there, too, was the last straw. It convinced her to take action.

“Zelena, come here,” she said, her voice far stronger than she felt herself. She reached out a hand.

The redhead, however, just smirked and took a step back —putting herself next to their mother.

“She’s not real,” Regina tried again, clenching her teeth. She was too desperate to truly feel the exasperation she had shown in her voice, though. Those same words had been said to the ghost of Cora earlier, but they had only summoned her sister as well. “She’s dead. It can’t be real.”

“Sister dear, death is only for those too weak to embrace real power.”

Zelena’s voice was seductive —its owner was powerful and in control, and she knew it. Still, it was not really her sister’s voice. Before she could reply, Cora cut in. Her malicious smile sent chills down the younger woman’s spine.

“Zelena’s proven to me I chose the wrong daughter, Regina. Now, we’re going to take Storybrooke. Are you going to be a good girl or do you still need to learn your lesson?”

The last question froze the former Queen on the spot. Any sarcastic retorts she could have thought of vanished from her mind. She felt like a prey trapped by predators.

She gulped, turning to her sister instead.

“Zelena, please. This is not what you want,” she practically begged, desperate.

“Isn’t it? What do you think I want? Your pathetic family made of bits and pieces?”

Regina shook her head, stubbornly trying to block out those hurtful words.

“You adore Henry.” ‘You said you loved me.’ She clenched her jaw at that thought. She could not break down if she wanted to get out of there alive. “You wouldn’t hurt him, I know it. That’s not who you are anymore.”

“Watch me, _sister_.”

Green light gathered in Zelena’s arms and she freed the energy in a blast aimed at Regina. The brunette could not get out of the way in time and it hit her square in her chest. She flew backwards until she hit the wall, a horrible déjà-vu of their fight on Main Street. Unable to move or even open her eyes for several seconds, she remained still, hearing footsteps get closer. When they came to a halt, she finally managed to look up. Her sister and mother towered over her. They were no longer wearing falsely sweet smiles.

Regina forced herself to sit upright. She needed to use her magic in order to stop Zelena and Cora. She did not even think anymore of the impossibility of her situation.

She threw her arm forward —and a little part of her wondered what Cora would think when she saw light magic emanating from her daughter’s hands. However, after a moment of absolute stillness, she realised nothing was happening. Her magic was not answering her. She tried again and again, but she was unable to summon up her power or even feel it running through her veins.

Suddenly, an invisible force lifted her. Regina fought back the first impulse of taking her hands to her throat. There was a reaction ingrained deeper within her. She stood still, unconsciously waiting for the punishment to be over. She did want to beg. Yet, it was not her mother who had her arm stretched out and she had no idea how to react to that.

At the very least, her sister seemed to be set on killing her promptly, as air was quickly getting out of her lungs.

“You could’ve saved everyone,” the redhead mocked, thrilled, “if only you weren’t so _weak_.”

The mayor closed her eyes, not wanting her last sight to be such a grotesque smile. It was not the sister she wished to remember.

* * *

Regina woke up with a start, choking back a gasp. She screwed her eyes shut as she sat on her bed, trembling for several minutes —until the tears in her eyes dried and she was able to open them again without fearing what she would see.

She knew it had just been another absurd bad dream, but she could still feel her sister’s magic choking her to death. She still saw her face while she did.

Robin had been sleeping with her more and more often, but not that night. Unable to stand a moment longer in the quiet darkness, she pushed back the bedcovers and left her bedroom.

As if by instinct, she checked in on Henry, who was soundly asleep. Smiling a little, she kept going down the corridor and could not help stopping at Zelena’s door, too. When she reached out to open it, though, she realised it was already ajar. Quietly, she pushed it and peeked in. The room was dark, but the bed was clearly empty and unmade. There was no one there. Her sister was not in the bathroom, either, and Regina felt a pang of worry.

She climbed down the stairs trying not to make any noise. All her thoughts about making herself a steaming cup of something were already forgotten.

Downstairs, everything was deadly still and apparently dark. However, when she arrived at the bottom, she could see a soft glow coming from the living room. She entered and saw the back of a curly red-haired head resting on the couch.

“Zelena?” she called out softly, in case her sister had fallen asleep.

However, the ginger stiffened and looked back at once.

“Regina?” she asked in return, her eyes wide open and her body barely relaxing. “I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”

The brunette came closer. She thought her sister’s eyes were slightly red, but with such poor light she could not be sure.

“Do you even have the sound on?” she retorted, smirking at the undistinguished murmurs coming from the television. Zelena did not react to her teasing, though, and she put on a somewhat serious face again. “Don’t worry, I didn’t hear you get up. Have you been here for long?”

The redhead shrugged and looked away.

“A while.”

She was so different from her dream, reflected Regina. And yet, she would rather see her sister smiling than cautious. That would have calmed her nerves more effectively.

Lately, she had become used to the redhead smiling more and more, or rather, smiling more freely. Of course, there were still times when she would lock up in her shell and moments of shyness over finding herself so carefree. Regina knew how hard it was to find oneself once again, so she tried not to push. It was the reason why she had not insisted on Zelena getting out of the house since she was granted permission over a week ago. In that time, the ginger had only been to Snow’s apartment once again. She had shown no interest in going out on her own and that was fine, Regina reminded herself more often than she would admit. Her sister had all the time she needed at home to find her feet.

“So, what woke you up?” the brunette asked nonchalantly.

“Nothing, I just couldn’t sleep,” was the swift answer. However, she glanced up briefly as she folded her feet further under her body, seemingly not realising she was doing so. Regina could not help noticing the tension apparent in her whole body.

“Nightmares?”

It was not really a question and still, it was received with strident laughter and a hurried headshake.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course not.”

Her sister tensed even more and Regina saw right through it. She said nothing, though. She only plopped down next to her on the couch, running her hands through her hair —and pretending she had not noticed Zelena stiffening further, even if it seemed impossible.

“I had a nightmare,” was all she confessed at first. It was not easy for her to open up about what she still felt like a weakness, so she looked away as well.

There was a tiny shift beside her and, out of the corner of her eye, the brunette saw that Zelena had turned and fixed her eyes on her.

“You did?”

They were both talking in whispers. Regina swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and nodded.

“I dreamed of you and Mother,” she finally said. She spoke slowly, as if every word needed to be thought out. “You were both there and... uh, rather displeased with me.”

She looked up and met Zelena’s eyes for a moment. Suddenly, she hoped her words had not given anything away, for she could not figure out why she had let them out. She should have lied. Or just shut the hell up. After all, the redhead had asked nothing. There was no reason to burden her with her bad dream. And yet, now she had actually sparked her curiosity.

“Why? What happened?”

Regina hesitated, trying to find the right words. She turned to her sister, too, because that sort of conversation needed eye contact as well as the correct approach to it. She firmly reminded herself she had nothing to be afraid of, and not because the other woman had no real power. She looked into those clear blue eyes. She breathed in, ready to offer some kind of explanation —those were the eyes of her sister.

“It wasn’t really you,” she stated, her voice regaining its normal volume at last. “It had your face in my dream, but it wasn’t you.”

It did nothing reassure the ginger.

“What happened?” she repeated, even more faintly than before.

Regina would have felt guilty for worrying her, but the unhidden concern brought tears to her eyes all of a sudden. Because the dream might not have happened, but that cold, snarling voice had once been directed at her, months ago. Yet, she tried desperately to hold onto her mask, as she was not the one who was allowed to crumble there.

“You and Mother said some nasty words, that’s all,” she said, managing to keep an even voice.

“What nasty words, Regina?” pressed Zelena.

The brunette looked away, feeling like she would not stand that little interrogation for much longer. She decided she would give away just enough for her sister to stop her questioning.

“You said you didn’t care about me or Henry. Our family wasn’t... good enough for you,” she replied, reverting back to whispers once again. “And that it was my own fault that I couldn’t save anyone, because I was too weak. You finally had what you wanted, our mother, and neither of you had any use for me then.”

She had not meant to say all of it, but she could not bring herself to care right then. There were tears rolling down her cheeks and her anguished voice only made it harder to breathe. She was afraid of what she would see on Zelena’s face, but she felt compelled to look up at the redhead’s next couple of questions.

“Did I hurt you? Did I... Did I kill you?”

Her bright blue eyes were wide open in horror and Regina shook her head, because no, those were not the eyes she had seen before closing her own in her nightmare. She could not get any words out, though, as a sob escaped and she kept crying harder. She tried to shake her head once more, but ended up nodding at the impossibility of explaining herself better. She covered her mouth with her hands and screwed her eyes shut, trying to muffle any other sounds. Like on other occasions, she had tried to be strong enough, only to find out she was not.

She felt the couch deepen and her eyes flew open instinctively. Through her blurred gaze, she saw that Zelena had frozen halfway through the motion of reaching out.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she whispered, as if the brunette had rejected her.

Regina just fixed her intense gaze on her and took her hand, looking for some comfort.

“I know.”

Zelena looked her in the eye as well, still hesitant to move. Very gently, she reached out with her free hand and started drying Regina’s tears. The brunette felt uncomfortable and self-conscious with her slow pace, but she forced herself to stay still, knowing it was a huge step for her sister. Maybe someday she would revel in her touch as she did in Henry’s or Robin’s.

“You can tell me about your nightmares. I’m not going to get upset,” Zelena said after a few seconds of silence, drawing her hand back from Regina’s face. The brunette started to trace circles on the back of her other hand, because the other woman sounded distraught, too.

She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure and the control of the conversation.

“What about you?” she asked. “You didn’t really look like you’d fallen asleep at all.”

Zelena looked away, but Regina did not know whether to interpret it as a sign of shame, shyness or simply reluctance to answer.

“No, sorry. You were right. I couldn’t sleep because I had a nightmare. It just didn’t seem right to let a bad dream affect me so much. Although they can be really scary,” she hurried to add.

The mayor smiled at her sister’s attempt to comfort her. It was turning out to be a night full of unexpected reactions.

“At least you can wake up and know you’re not there.”

Zelena nodded, making a noise of agreement. Then, she looked down, at the place where they were holding hands. Before speaking, she enveloped Regina’s with both of her own.

“I also dreamt of you. It was terrifying.”

“Go on,” the brunette encouraged her when she saw her sister found no words to continue.

“I... I sometimes have nightmares about dying, but I only get so upset when you show up, too,” she confessed, unable to look her in the eye. “Today, though... Even in my dream, I couldn’t believe you were saying those things to me. You sounded like my father and you’ve never told me such things. Yet, when I tried to... You plunged your hand into my chest and I knew it had to be you, because only my own blood could take my heart. A bit impractical, I know.” Zelena attempted to let out chuckle, but her eyes were shining and she lowered her head. She started to tremble and Regina was painfully aware of her hold. “And I realised I wasn’t scared of dying this time. I could only focus on... It was absolutely dreadful to see hatred in your eyes when you looked at me. I— I was alone again. Our relationship... It hadn’t even been real.”

Even though the brunette could no longer see her face, she could hear the tears in her voice. She waited until Zelena was done talking, but not a single minute longer. She repositioned herself on the couch, so that she was sitting upright, and drew her sister towards her —much as she had the night she had discovered Zelena had begun to turn green again.

“Of course it’s real, sis,” she muttered, already beginning to feel tears on her chest. Out of instinct, she started to caress the wild red curls. “You never have to be alone, ever again.”

Zelena let out another sob, burying herself further into the brunette. A moment later, Regina could feel her efforts to calm herself down.

“Is it always going to be like this?” she asked in a somewhat defeated whisper. Before the brunette could ask for further clarification, though, she went on. “I don’t feel like a big sister at all,” she added as she let out a wet laugh. However, beneath the joking, Regina could hear the truth of how she was feeling.

She hugged her tighter. Maybe she no longer needed to be unbreakable in her sister’s presence.

“Thank you for listening and for telling me about your nightmare,” she stated softly. “I don’t know much about it, but I think this is what being comforted by your big sister feels like.”

Zelena chuckled again, but that time it did not sound like she would burst into tears right away. Regina closed her eyes and they both relaxed a little. Eventually, they drifted off to sleep. After all, that was what the quiet of the night was truly for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think.
> 
> You can read a complete account of Zelena's nightmare [**here**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465270/chapters/53902108).


	19. Chapter 19

Regina had been pestering Zelena to go outside on her own for four days. It was not as if she were forcing her to do anything, though. As much as the brunette could come out as blunt and raw sometimes, she did not really press unless she considered it necessary to take action.

She just dropped comments like ‘Such a nice day. Don’t you feel like going for a walk?’ or ‘Sis, you must be bored to death. And no, video games are no substitute for anything.’ Zelena, however, would dismiss it all with another remark of her own and spend the morning in the backyard, where no one could bother her.

That was just the thing —she had become used to no longer being wary of the people she saw every day. Outside, no one could predict whom she would meet and how they would react. She told herself she was not fearful, just unwilling to leave that little comfort behind.

Yet, that morning she had got up and the weather was really nice, not some nonsense coming from Regina. It was a true spring day. Sitting in the backyard, she realised she was itching to go for a walk. And so, she did, because she could.

She took a spare handbag and put in the keys Regina had given her several days ago. She also took her phone with her. Not feeling as ready as she would like to and pretending to have far more confidence than she really did, she got out of the mansion on Mifflin Street.

At first, it felt good, mostly because the last time she had walked down the streets of Storybrooke, she had constantly been under the fear of being recognised. Now, she could walk freely and unconcealed and no one had any right to say otherwise. Nevertheless, as she left behind the residential streets and came to where shops lined up, more and more people crossed her path and stopped to eye her shamelessly. Soon, it made Zelena uncomfortable enough to think of a way to get away from it.

She had had no destination in mind when she had gone out. Pressed by the circumstances, she remembered the park with a lake that she had seen more than once —both when she had been wrecking havoc in the town as the Wicked Witch and in Regina and Henry’s photographs. Surely, she could find a quiet spot there without having to cross the main street, as she would have to if she went to the beach.

Determined, she headed for the park. It was a school day, so there were no one but one or two runners. Zelena sat on a bench in front of the lake. She was content with contemplating sunlight reflecting on the calm waters for a little, but it did not take long for her to realise she should have brought a book with her. Before she could keep pondering about it, though, someone got closer and her attention shifted to focus on the newcomer.

She saw the man out of the corner of her eye as she made a conscious effort not to look at him directly, hoping he would leave her alone. No such luck, because he came up to her and she felt herself stiffen. She was about to get up when he sat next to her and his words gave her pause.

“So you’re Regina’s new pet, aren’t you?”

She looked at him with eyes wide open, unable for a moment to believe his impudence. She wished she could summon up a small fireball if only to give him a well-deserved lesson.

“Excuse me?” she managed to say, finally jumping on her feet. “Who the hell are you?”

At the back of her mind, she had always known people may come and throw their accusations at her. However, she had not expected they would comment on her relationship with Regina. She had been so self-centred that she had not thought of how the townspeople would take their mayor’s decision.

“Just a former servant of Her Majesty,” the man replied, breaking her train of thought.

He looked up and Zelena noticed for the first time the careless stubble and the maniac smile. Her stomach churned as she clutched her handbag tighter. Without another word, she turned around and started to walk away. At once, he got up as well and went after her. When he got too close to her liking, the redhead spun around, unwilling to let him get closer to her back. The gates of the park were already visible from there, but she could not go on while that man kept looking at her like that —like he could harm her, even if it was not true.

“What do you want?” she growled.

She found it easier to slip in her old masks when danger made her heart race.

“Do you feel safe with the Queen, witch?”

She stepped forward, not intimidated at all. Instead, she tried to make herself more threatening.

“What do you want?” she repeated, that time punctuating every word.

“She pretended to care, to love Snow and her father for _years_, only to have me killing him and the huntsman attempting to do so with the princess. What makes you think she can’t pretend in front of you for a few months?”

Zelena was livid. Whether it was from rage or the littlest trace of doubt, she did not know. She took a step back, finding herself at a loss for words. She wanted to speak up and defend her sister —how did that bastard dare speak of the king as if he were an innocent victim?—, but they were no longer alone.

“Sidney!”

The yell tore the air and made Zelena flinch noticeably. She turned her head, still unable to let the man face her back, and saw Prince Charming half running towards them. Why was he so opportune? She should have walked away when she had the chance. She would rather have Regina not knowing about that encounter, but now it would be impossible.

David reached them and the redhead looked at the man —Sidney— again. He had adopted an innocent smile, which only made him look crazier. The former prince stared at her and frowned.

“What’s going on? Is there a problem?”

Zelena felt her cheeks regaining a little colour by becoming red. It was no surprise that he assumed she had been the one causing trouble.

“Of course not, Sheriff. We were just talking,” Sidney answered, smiling wider.

The blond did not look convinced. He turned to her, frowning more deeply.

“Zelena? You okay?”

As soon as he had said her name, she had opened her mouth ready to protest. At his second question, though, she closed it again, speechless. Not knowing what to say, she gave him a tentative nod.

“Is someone going to explain to me what happened here?” David asked again when neither of them seemed willing to clear it up.

“I was warning her that the Evil Queen isn’t the kind to take in strays off the streets,” Sidney finally cut in, shrugging.

At another time, Zelena may have wondered if he truly did not realise whom he was bad-mouthing. Right then, however, she was too busy trying to control her growing blush, because those stupid words should not affect her so much.

“I think that’s enough, Sidney,” David cut him off, deadly serious. “Was he bothering you?”

She could not help looking at him in alarm when she met his clear eyes full of concern. She would have liked to reply that it was nothing she could not handle, but she was still too shocked to think of the right words. She definitely needed a moment to collect herself. In addition, her inability to speak up only kept feeding the embarrassment she already felt.

Her hesitation was apparently all he needed to take out his phone. Zelena felt herself go pale again.

“Sidney, you’re coming with me,” he said, taking a hold of the suddenly meek man’s arm. “I’m gonna call Regina so she can pick you up,” he added, addressing the redhead.

“What? No!” she managed to utter at last. Not even her indignation made her regain her colour that time. “I— I’m allowed to leave her house. I’m not...” ‘... doing anything wrong,’ she would have wanted to defend herself, but she recognised on his face a look of determination and it shut her up. What she had to say did not matter.

He seemed taken aback by her lack of fight, but he recovered quite quickly.

“Zelena, you can’t go home by yourself. You can’t see your face right now, but you may faint on your way there.”

“I— I’m okay,” she replied, but not even to her ears did it sound solid.

“Look, I’d take you myself, but I need to take care of Sidney.”

The fact that he tried to reason with her only made Zelena’s arguments sound weaker. Besides, just the name of the man made her feel ill. She looked away as hopelessness and shame overwhelmed her, emotions she did not want him to see in her eyes. She felt him staring at her for several seconds anyway, as if he was trying to figure something out, but was unable to. Finally, barely biting back a sigh, he did call her sister.

“Regina, it’s David. No, it’s not... I don’t know where my daughter is. Yes, we were supposed to hand it in yesterday, but you know how things... No... Listen to me for a second, please. I’m with your sister.” It seemed those four words managed to shut her up, because David smirked and went on with scarce interruptions. “No, she’s okay, but she’s had a... minor clash with Sidney and I think someone should take her home. I have to take care of him.” That time, the pause was longer. “Okay. I will, don’t worry. We’re in the park, near the lake, in the path towards the exit.”

After that, he hung up and looked at Zelena.

“She’ll be here in a moment. I’m going to take him to the car. Be right back.”

The redhead nodded slightly, but he had already turned around. Once he was out of her sight, she realised she did feel a little dizzy. She sat on another bench, swallowing her desire to cry. For some reason, she still felt dirty from being compared to Snow’s father. Zelena had seen Leopold only a handful times through the wizard’s mirror, but she still remembered his face and his name.

True to his word, David reappeared a couple of minutes later. He smiled at her, tightly but kindly, and sat next to her. They were in silence for some seconds. Why he decided to break it, she had no idea.

“You know, when I came closer, I didn’t know who was threatening who.”

He tried to speak lightly, but Zelena just looked down at her hands.

“No surprises there,” she muttered.

“But, then, you stepped back and I saw your face was white as a sheet,” he went on, as if she had not cut in. “I don’t know what he told you before I arrived, but you know that last part isn’t true, right?”

Zelena nodded, hesitant over what to let him know.

“I do. It just brought forth some unpleasant memories. You shouldn’t have called my sister.”

“She would’ve wanted to know. And I meant it, you didn’t look so good.”

The redhead smiled weakly, hiding her surprise at how easy it was to keep a conversation going on with Charming all of a sudden. She was ready to let out a snarky comment when they heard the sound of a car approaching and someone killing the engine. Shortly after, Regina was striding towards them, all ferocity and confidence. With a lump in her throat, Zelena could not help remembering that young Queen and what she had been forced to become.

Her sister had almost reached them, so she swallowed and got up, trying to shake off the memory.

“What happened?”

“Nothing. Don’t make a fuss” The redhead forced herself to roll her eyes at the brunette’s half angry, half alarmed voice. Internally, she was deeply relieved that her own voice had sounded even.

Regina just huffed, not buying it.

“I knew I’d regret letting Sidney out,” she said to no one in particular.

“Speaking of him,” David cut in, “I’d better go back to the car.”

The mayor nodded, breathing in to get a hold of herself.

“Thanks for letting me know.”

He did not reply, only smiled at the sisters and squeezed Regina’s arm slightly. Once he was out of earshot, the brunette turned to Zelena and asked again,

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes, really. He shouldn’t have called you. Nothing happened.”

“I’m glad he did. You’re shaking, Zelena,” she added after a little pause, her voice much gentler that time.

The ginger crossed her arms tightly over her chest to stop it —she had not even realised she was trembling. She also blushed at her sister’s obvious concern. She hated being treated with kid gloves.

“Hadn’t you come to take me home?” Despite her bluntness, her voice came out soft and she looked away.

“Of course. Come on.”

As they went down the path, Regina could not help speaking again.

“Would you have called me if David hadn’t showed up?”

“There was no need. That man didn’t seem dangerous.”

To be honest, Zelena had been a little scared, but thinking it rationally, Sidney neither had magic nor carried any weapons —as far as she could have seen, anyway. Calling her sister had not even crossed her mind.

“Then, why didn’t you go away? I don’t picture you staying and putting up with anyone’s crap.”

“Everything happened very fast. I didn’t have time to think before the prince showed up.”

Regina took a deep breath, but thankfully did not add anything else.

When they got in the car, Zelena felt oddly relieved. Her mask must have slipped, because her sister noticed it, too.

“We could go to Granny’s for dinner on Friday,” the brunette suggested as if she had not seen it, though.

“Do you think if they see me with you, they’ll leave me alone?” Her voice had acquired a bitter undertone, but she could not bring herself to care.

“It isn’t like that,” Regina protested at once, glancing briefly at her as she drove them home. Zelena gave her a look in return. “Although it wouldn’t certainly hurt if they saw you more often. I just realised we’ve never eaten there together.” There was a small pause, but the redhead knew the other woman had not finished talking. “If you wish to know, though, yes, the more they see you, the faster they’ll become used to it.”

Zelena could not reply to that, so she just shrugged. She was tired. The petty and unrealistic thought of not going out ever again had indeed crossed her mind, but she also realised that, despite what had happened, she wanted to keep enjoying the small town. She knew it had not exactly been the same for her sister, because she had always held a position of power in Storybrooke. And yet, the redhead needed to allow herself to hope that, even though she could not earn their respect, they would leave her alone at least.

“Did you have a lot of work?” Zelena asked somewhat abruptly to change the subject.

“No, things were actually kind of slow at the office today. So I asked Tink to cover me for the rest of the day.”

“You really don’t need to do that,” she muttered.

Regina shrugged, as if it were not a big deal.

“Since when do I listen to you?” she asked, earning a playful swat. The redhead stilled as her mind caught up with what she had just done, but the smirk on the other woman’s face deepened and she could relax once again.

Zelena could not deny the whole aftermath had made her feel better, including her sister preferring to stay with her. As much as Regina claimed she never listened to anyone, she was really good at listening to all the untold things.

* * *

The redhead thought her sister had forgotten about the incident at the park, but as they tidied up the kitchen after lunch, Regina resumed her previous interrogation.

“So, what did Sidney tell you?”

Zelena froze, forcing herself to keep moving a moment later.

“Just nonsense. Who’s he, by the way?” she asked in return, nonchalantly.

“My former mirror,” Regina replied dryly.

The ginger stopped in her tracks again and she could not recover at once that time. She had known of its —his, apparently— existence, but she had never paid much attention to the matter. What he had said was true, after all —he had killed the king following a scheme thought by the Queen.

“So, what did he tell you? You were really pale when I arrived at the park.”

“I told you already. It was just a lot of rubbish.”

She made herself look Regina in the eye as she talked impatiently, but all evidence betrayed her.

“I want to know what he’s saying, Zelena. If it’s really nonsense, you won’t mind sharing, will you?”

“It’s unpleasant nonsense,” she answered, stubborn.

“So what? Do you think I need to sit down in case it’s too much for my poor heart?”

Both women’s patience had been running thin and Zelena snapped out a ‘Perhaps’ that prompted the brunette to actually plop down on the couch. Zelena’s irritation, however, faded away as soon as she also took a seat and looked at her younger sister. Once again, she could not help hesitating.

“He claimed you wouldn’t take me in without an agenda.”

“Did you believe him? Is that why—?”

“No,” she cut her off, shaking her head as she took the brunette’s hand. She did not know what she was doing and just hoped she would not regret it. Yet, she could not let Regina think Sidney’s words had affected her because she did not believe in her sister’s honesty —in her love. “He reminded me of the years you spent pretending to love Snow and Leopold and how it ended.”

Almost immediately, the brunette drew her hand back. Zelena felt hurt, but she let her and kept her face carefully void of emotion. The huge brown eyes were wide open and, for a second, in the fear there, the redhead saw the young Queen.

It was only a second, though, and, then, the shock and the pain went away, the mask fell back in place and the young Queen was buried.

“Of course, you know about it, don’t you?”

Regina’s deep bitterness threw Zelena off.

“Well, yes, but—”

“I bet you even thought I deserved it.” The redhead gulped, petrified as her sister turned away from her. She still had time to see the tears shining in her eyes. “That’s why you didn’t want to tell me.”

For a few, long moments, Zelena was rendered speechless.

“I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to hurt you,” she managed to explain at last. In her slightly high-pitched voice, her own tears could be heard. “I didn’t want to bring back those awful memories,” she added, much more softly.

They were silent for a long time, but the redhead dared neither move nor break the stillness. Finally, her sister shifted, although only to curl up tighter on the couch.

“That’s all they are, right? Memories.”

Zelena had not the slightest clue what to answer —what Regina wished to hear.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out, her voice completely broken. It was an apology for so many things that she had not the strength to name.

The brunette gazed up at her and it was as if she were really seeing the ginger for the first time since Leopold’s name was brought up. She looked broken, too. After what seemed like another silence that lasted too long, she sighed and lowered her head until it was touching her knees.

“No, I am sorry,” she whispered, her voice already muffled behind her legs, so that Zelena really felt the temptation to come closer. She did not move, though. She was not sure how she would be received with Regina in such a state. “I reacted badly. Why do they hurt so much if they’re only memories?”

“I don’t know,” the redhead replied honestly, matching her sadness.

“They’re never going to go away.” It was a statement that did not seek an answer.

Regina sighed, breathed in and lowered her legs, slowly breaking the ball she had curled into out of instinct. Only when she looked at Zelena, the redhead dared speak.

“Maybe if you talked... My nightmares haven’t gone away, but it’s got better since we talked about Cora and my father.”

When those brown eyes turned to her once again, there was so much sadness in them that Zelena felt her heart tightening. Then, Regina seemed to lean in her direction ever so slightly. The redhead finally decided to reach out and, after reassuring herself that she was not getting it wrong, she came closer and held her hand.

“I don’t know if I can.”

“That’s okay, too,” she hurried to assure. Perhaps she should shut up instead of adding what was eating her away, but Zelena knew Regina deserved the truth. “And I... I did. In my bitterest hours, I did think you... deserved it.” Just the mere thought made her sick now. Yet, she forced herself to go on. “But I never thought... Like all that happened to you, I downplayed it. I’m... Oh, god. I’m so sorry.”

Tears spilled out of her eyes and she could not keep looking at Regina. She could no longer stand the contact, either, so she drew back her hand and covered her mouth with it.

She wished she could say something that would fix it. She also knew it was beyond words. She wanted to add ‘Please, don’t hate me’ and she did not know whether it was decency or lack of bravery what stopped her.

Suddenly, she felt a weight on her. Startled, she looked down and saw that her sister had made herself comfortable against her, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I didn’t truly see Snow for a long, long time, either. I’d like to pretend all that didn’t happen, that I never inflicted so much pain on her. I wish she never tricked me into killing our mother. I’d like to make all the things we said to each other disappear. Because no matter how good our relationship is now, those are the kind of mistakes that never fade away.”

Even though Regina spoke slowly, with several pauses throughout her little reflection, Zelena listened to her completely absorbed. She had started to believe her as soon as she had shared a moment of her past, since her words opened up a new world for the redhead, one that made it easier to find her own way.

She nodded, hugging her sister tighter and appreciating the feeling of Regina hugging her back.

“I’m sorry,” she could not help murmuring again.

“I understand why you didn’t see me,” the brunette assured her, shaking her head slightly. “And even though it hurts knowing how you used to feel about it, you didn’t do anything.”

They stayed in silence for so long that Zelena thought they had dropped the subject. Yet, when least expected, Regina spoke again.

“Snow knows nothing. Well, rather I don’t know what she knows about it, but I could never tell her. Robin... knows some things, from when we were living in my castle during the missing year. Charming, too. But not Snow. I can’t do that to her.” Her voice, which had started off surprisingly calm, wavered in the last lines and Zelena knew she was biting back tears.

Tentatively, the redhead reached out and began to stroke the dark locks.

“You can tell me if you want,” she said, overcoming her own doubts. It was what Regina needed at the moment and she would rather be wrong than fail to offer her such a little comfort. “It doesn’t have to be today and it doesn’t have to be everything, but I— I’m willing to listen to what you want to tell me.”

“Thank you, sis.” Regina’s voice was weary, but also the littlest bit lighter. Once again, she spoke after a long silence —it was not so dense anymore, though. “The most horrible part was the first years. Not that it got any better with time, but it did get easier, because I became number and number. I spent those first years fighting against the wish of harming Snow, trying to measure up to the memory of a ghost... Trying to fight against the temptation of magic and power. It was a lost battle from the beginning, I just didn’t know. The imp was smart and brought people to convince me they could bring Daniel back. He knew it was the only flame of hope I’d always had. When those men failed, I fell right into his arms. I didn’t fight the wish to harm those who were hurting me anymore. What for? For me, nothing had ever come from being good. So from then on, I just focused on magic and detaching myself from every feeling but vengeance. I’ve come a long way since then, but sometimes I can’t help thinking that, after all these years, even after becoming family with Snow again, his is the only death I don’t feel any pain over. Maybe you can’t really change completely.”

As the brunette spoke, Zelena had forgotten she should offer a reply later on. However, the way Regina delivered the last line, with such a small voice, snapped the redhead out of her daze. And she said the first thing she was thinking.

“Well, of course you don’t regret it. That bloody bastard got what he deserved.”

Regina let out a short, low chuckle.

“You do know how to cheer someone up, sis.”

It had not been said maliciously, but right away, Zelena regretted not having thought her answer more thoroughly. The hand that caressed the brunette hair stilled.

“Sorry. I know you’d rather be able to have this chat with Snow.”

“It isn’t like that,” Regina said, her voice reassuring despite her current emotional state. She looked up, trying to meet her sister’s blue gaze. “I don’t always agree with her and neither of us has always the perfect solution or gives the best piece of advice. But I’m not looking for that. As long as we’re honest, it’s okay. The relationship is worth it.”

“I’d like that,” Zelena confessed, daring to meet the brown eyes.

“I think we already have it, sis,” Regina replied. Surprisingly, her mood seemed to have improved a little and she offered her a small smile —all the reassurance the former witch needed.


	20. Chapter 20

Zelena reached Granny’s. She was hardly a few minutes early, but Regina was nowhere in sight. For what she could spy through the big windows, she was not inside the diner, either. Yet, they had agreed to meet there and have lunch, so she felt a little silly waiting for her outside.

She stepped in trying not to draw much attention. It was the first time she was there —at least, as herself— since she had come to challenge Regina many months ago. She knew she had failed in her attempt when all chatter stilled. Gulping, she forced herself to keep a blank face as she continued walking. Her eyes stayed fixed straight ahead and she took a seat in a lonely spot by the counter.

She busied herself with reading the menu and tried to turn off the rest of customers. Thus, she was spooked badly when she heard a strong voice suddenly talking to her.

“Someone should thank you for quitting the dramatic entries on the doorbell’s behalf.”

Zelena looked up right away, falling to conceal her surprise at the same speed. Her cheeks felt slightly hotter and she found herself at a loss for words to counter Granny’s sarcasm. Maybe it had been a mistake to meet there, after all.

“I’m waiting for Regina.”

She had not meant to give explanations —she did not need to—, but the words tumbled out of her mouth. Her blush spread as she refused to back down and kept glowering at the old woman.

Granny smiled sharply.

“So, are you going to have something in the meantime?”

The redhead could have sworn that she was being challenged. However, if she had learnt something lately, it was that her first perception was not always right.

“No, thank you. I’d better wait,” she replied, adopting an even tone.

She looked away for a moment, until Granny finally nodded and left.

She was going through the menu for the second time when the doorbell chimed again and Regina arrived at last.

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” she said when she got closer. “Shall we get a table?”

Zelena nodded wordlessly, managing to muster a little smile that did not make the brunette’s worry disappear.

“Everything okay?” her sister asked as they sat down.

The redhead tugged up the corner of her mouth a little further.

“Yeah, fine. What about you? Did something happen at work?”

Regina started to reply, but was interrupted by the waitress with red streaks.

“Your usual salad, Madame Mayor?”

“Um, not today, Ruby.” She looked then at Zelena. “What do you think about spicy chicken wraps? Henry told me about them the other day.”

“Okay,” was the redhead’s answer as she shrugged ever so slightly.

“And some wine, yes?”

Zelena nodded again and Ruby wrote it down.

“Coming right up,” she said before going away.

“Henry would kill me if he learnt I’ve come here with you for the first time and ordered a salad.” At that, the redhead could not help a chuckle, thankful that her own tastes matched her nephew’s rather than her sister’s. “And I felt like eating something different, anyway.”

“What’s in those wraps? I suppose it’s not a whole chicken.”

Regina laughed and Zelena found herself smiling wider at the sound.

“No. It’s a flatbread wrapping little chunks of chicken and other stuff.”

The ginger took a brief moment to reply after the initial puzzlement of trying to picture that description.

“This world really has the weirdest food.”

“And you love it,” the brunette retorted, knowing her sister could not contradict her.

Zelena rolled her eyes as Ruby brought them the wine. Regina started talking about work when, suddenly, she seemed to remember something that lit up her whole face.

“I forgot to tell you Robin’s got a job.”

She was trying to hold back her enthusiasm, but it reminded Zelena of a teenager anyway. Nevertheless, she decided to indulge her younger sister just a little.

“Really? I guess it’s difficult for a thief to find a job when his girlfriend is the mayor.”

It was Regina’s turn to roll her eyes and Zelena’s smirk became bigger. It was a shame her sister did not blush every time she was called ‘girlfriend’ anymore, though.

“He’s going to teach archery and other survival skills in the forest to children,” the brunette went on ignoring the remark. “It’s really an excuse to help the Lost Boys fit into Storybrooke, though. Most of them aren’t adapting well.”

Zelena sobered up rather quickly upon hearing that. That kind of issue hit too close to home.

“Sounds like a great idea, sis.”

She received another grin in return and they easily switched from one topic to another for the rest of the meal. Time seemed to fly by.

“We should do this again another time,” the redhead said when they left, surprising both herself and her sister. She did not feel like her admission was a weakness, though, so she just smiled at the brunette.

She had decided she was tired of denying herself her happiness.

* * *

Days kept getting warmer and spending time outdoors became a greater temptation. Regina had gone out early that morning after Snow had called her requesting her help or something like that. Whatever it was, the brunette had not wanted or been able to offer any details. She was gone all morning and, when she failed to show up for lunch, Zelena ate, tidied up the kitchen and went for a walk.

She did not know if there would be someone home when she came back, but certainly she was not expecting her sister to be in the living room with several books scattered on the table.

“What’s up, sis?” she asked, coming closer and picking one.

It was an old, leather-covered book that, for some reason, felt familiar. She realised why just as Regina answered.

“Belle’s fallen under some kind of spell Rumple can’t break without losing her in a different way. Although I’m sure he’ll kill anyone to save her, anyway.” She muttered the last sentence bitterly and, then, breathed in to calm down a little. “We need to figure out another way, so he’s lent me some of his books.”

Zelena had frozen for a moment, but she snapped out of it as she processed the information. Slowly, she put the book back on the table.

She was about to turn around, to get out of there and take a shower, but Regina’s face stopped her. She had her gaze focused on the written pages again, but two adjectives could easily describe her: tired and desperate. Zelena sat down on a chair and intertwined her fingers.

“What sort of spell?”

The brunette looked up, surprised, as if she had not expected her older sister to stay and offer her assistance. Her face changed within a fraction of a second and some tension seemed to leave her. Closing her book, she tried to muster up her characteristic anger, but she did not manage to fool Zelena.

“That foolish bookworm was going through some of Rumple’s old stuff and found a mirror. I don’t know if she’s seen that stupid Disney movie, but she took it out of the box and removed the cloth that covered it, so that her image reflected on it. Rumple says he heard a cry and now she’s barely conscious half the time.” Regina closed her eyes. The redhead, who did not know what to say yet and could only imagine theories, reached out of instinct. The brunette looked up upon the contact and squeezed her hand, smiling gratefully. “Apparently, the mirror absorbs the life of the person reflected and the only way to get it back is by giving it another. The only reason Belle’s still alive is because Rumple is transferring some of his energy to her, but needless to say, it can only work for so long. She made him swear he won’t sacrifice anyone, not even himself. I don’t know how long he’ll keep his word, though.”

Zelena nodded, deep in thought.

“So he’d need something equivalent to a life in order for the mirror to give back Belle’s.”

“That’s it. We’re trying to find another way to gather enough energy at once to fool the mirror.”

She needed another couple of seconds to make a decision. She would rather forget about Rumple, but she would stay for her sister.

“May I?” she asked finally, gesturing at the books on the table.

“Of course,” Regina replied right away, not managing to hide a relieved smile completely.

They were reading in silence for a while —for Zelena, it only confirmed what she already suspected. There were ways to contain energy and some dark spells to extract magic from people. However, in every one of them, the price was death.

The price...

‘The price is, without it, you are powerless.’

Glinda’s words from a lifetime ago echoed in her mind. The pendant increased her power and, in return, she bounded her magic to it. She had already paid the price.

She gazed up, her mouth open to tell Regina, when she realised she could not say it. Since her sister had her pendant, Zelena no longer held any power over it. She could not decide what would happen once her theory was out in the open. And with the jewel gone, she would never have her magic back.

Still, was it so horrible? She had never been happier than at present time. She did still miss her magic sometimes, but she did not need it to be happy. Besides, how could she keep living with Regina and Henry if she let someone die despite possibly having the solution? They believed in her, believed she could change and had much more faith than she could ever summon up. If she had to lose her magic again in order not to let her family down, so be it.

“Regina?” The former Queen looked up immediately and prompted her to continue with her eyes. The redhead cleared her throat nervously, getting the words out before she had time to regret it. “I think I got it.”

“Seriously?” Dark eyes glistened and, before Zelena could see it coming, the book had been taken from her hands. “Where?” was the only question.

“No, not there.” She sighed and started playing with her red locks absent-mindedly. “But I might’ve found the solution. My pendant.” Upon hearing those last two words, Regina’s eyes went slightly wider. They were completely fixed on her, too, and she could not help looking away. “It holds the magic of a lifetime. Should be enough.”

Her quiet statement was followed by stillness. The silence allowed her a moment to reflect and she realised that, although she did not feel better, she was not afraid, either. In truth, she had no idea what she was feeling.

“Zelena,” her sister called out softly and she was compelled to look her in the eye. “If you... If we do that, all your magic would remain trapped in the mirror forever.”

She almost rolled her eyes at the obvious remark. She had nearly broken one of the laws of magic, she did not need to be treated like a clueless child.

“I know, but you wouldn’t need a real life then. And I think it could work.”

Regina ignored her snappish tone and became even more serious, taking her hands in her own.

“Sis, I’m not going to lie. I think it could work, too. Are you sure, though? There’s not going back once you make that decision.”

“Isn’t it what I’m supposed to do?”

Her voice rose and her irritation suddenly became unbearable. She was about to bolt out of her chair when the brunette shook her head. However, she was only showing her exhaustion and not replying to her previous question.

“You can’t do it because you feel it’s what you should do. You need to be sure. It’s your pendant, your magic.” Regina kept talking to her as if she was not fully aware of her situation. The younger woman made a brief pause, biting her lip. “You need to know I was planning on giving it back to you.”

“Damn it, Regina,” she growled, even though she had not planned on saying the words out loud.

She tried to draw back her hands and put some distance between her and the person who was making everything extremely more difficult. Still, her sister, stubborn as ever, did not let her go and held on tighter instead.

Zelena fixed her eyes on those hands that transmitted almost as much as Regina’s eyes. She remained quiet for several minutes, deep in thought, but the brunette did not push further.

Tentatively, she looked up and met the brown eyes. Regina kept waiting for her decision. It was truly up to her. All of a sudden, her choice became a bit less heavy.

“Okay, I’m sure.” She gave her sister a squeeze and attempted to smile without much success. “You can use it.”

Regina did manage to smile. It was bright and knowing she was the cause helped her offer at least a strained smile in return.

The brunette got up, prompting her sister to do the same. She let go of her hands and enveloped Zelena in a hug. The ginger did not hesitate. She surrounded her with her arms, too, and buried her face in her shoulder. She took a deep breath, allowing herself to get lost in the feeling of comfort.

“Thank you,” whispered Regina.

Zelena gulped.

“You’re welcome.”

Her voice had sounded a little dull, perhaps, but she hugged back tighter and tried not to think of it.

* * *

Zelena had probably thought her participation ended there, because she strongly opposed when Regina insisted she should go with her to Rumple’s shop.

“You said he’d kill me if I ever went near him again,” the redhead protested, almost shouting.

“He’ll do nothing to you. I’ll make sure of it,” Regina replied, locking her gaze into her sister’s blue eyes. She tried to transmit as much calmness as possible. “If we get to save Belle, it’ll be thanks to you. You should be there.”

Zelena swallowed and looked away. Surely, she would never admit it, but Regina could bet she was scared. The brunette softened her gesture.

“Come on.” She stepped forward and put a hand on her sister’s arm, hoping to look reassuring. “I already called the Charmings. They’re already there, waiting for us.”

The redhead looked at her and it was as good as begging not to go. Regina refused to yield on that matter, though. Finally, Zelena accepted her defeat and sighed, steeling herself for what was to come. Regina stopped herself from rolling her eyes at her dramatic behaviour, only because she was quite nervous herself.

They went out and she drove them to her vault. As she killed the engine, she hesitated. She had not thought through what she was about to do.

“Do you want...?” she trailed off, gesturing out the window at the time she looked at her sister, sitting next to her.

She had yet to take Zelena to visit Cora’s grave and now it would not be the best time to take her to the familiar mausoleum. Fortunately, the ginger shook her head wordlessly and made a vague gesture for the brunette to go.

Regina tried to take as little time as possible. Once she was back in the car, she drove them to Gold’s shop in complete silence, which they both needed. When they arrived, she had been able to consider the situation more carefully and so, she made sure she entered first. Despite not seeing her, Regina could tell how tense her sister was.

They found the others at the back of the shop. Belle was lying on the tiny bed. She was very pale and Rumple, by her side, looked exhausted, too. David, Snow and Emma were there as well. Everyone but Belle looked up when the Mills sisters entered, and before Rumple’s gaze could get too murderous, Regina cut in.

“Zelena might’ve found the solution. Her pendant,” she said firmly, leaving no time for anyone to question the ginger’s presence.

She took the green emerald and handed it out to Rumple. All the while, she could almost feel Zelena’s eyes burning holes through it.

Gold must have been really weakened, because he needed a whole second to process what she had just said. With a last look at his wife, he got up slowly and came to them.

“The pendant?” he repeated, taking it in his hands and examining it up close.

“It contains magic from a lifetime,” Zelena cut in unexpectedly.

Her sister’s sharp voice took Regina aback. She gazed back and saw that the redhead seemed to be biting her tongue in order to stop herself from saying anything else.

Rumple looked up at her then and Regina could not help extending an arm in front of her sister right away. Nothing happened, though —no word was even uttered for what seemed like a really long time. The Dark One just stared back down at the jewel, deep in thought. A few seconds later, he fixed his iron gaze on Regina.

“It may work,” he agreed, calmly, “but she’d need to wear it once more and let it take what little magic she may still have left.”

“What? Why?”

Her strong voice might have been that of a Queen’s, but her displeasure recalled her time as Rumplestiltskin’s student. In the background, a faint attempt on Snow’s part to calm her went mostly unheard.

“Because I’m unwilling to take any risks. In order to fool the mirror successfully, we’re going to give it till the last drop of magic in her body,” he hissed, suddenly angry, as if Regina was being stubborn for no reason.

Yet, she did have a reason to be wary. In any case she had wanted to deprive Zelena of all her magic. Her sister needed it to live —she had been born with it. No one could be sure what would happen if the pendant absorbed all her magic.

They stared at each other for some long seconds, until the brunette felt a hand on her arm that broke her train of thought. She looked away from Rumple and saw Zelena by her side.

“I’ll do it,” she said.

Despite her words, her blue eyes were flooded with doubt and her face was actually very pale. She glanced at Belle. Something in her gesture made Regina understand that Zelena only needed her support on this. She should have guessed the Dark One would not believe such simplicity.

When the brunette nodded and was about to take the pendant from his hand, he closed his fist around it.

“What’s your price?”

Zelena’s eyes opened slightly, but she recovered fast. Her lips started to form a malicious smile, maybe unconsciously. Yet, it froze halfway through and she put on a neutral face.

“I’ve never been like you.”

The glare he returned made Regina’s blood run cold.

“Stop wasting our time, Rumple,” she cut in, aware of the high emotions they were all hiding in the room.

He looked daggers at her, too, but she did not back down. Instead, she extended her hand, palm facing up. He decided to ignore her for just another second.

“If you try something—”

“Give it to me,” the former Queen cut him off, not willing to keep listening to his threatening her sister.

There was another tense pause, but maybe he was also aware of the time they were wasting, because he acquiesced quicker than Regina had expected. She was tempted to think her family had no obligation to be helping at all, but not even in that tense situation she could fool herself so. The debt she had with Belle would not be squared even if the librarian survived.

She took the pendant from a reluctant Rumple. Turning to Zelena, the latter’s mask was back in place. However, as she handed the jewel out to her, she thought she had caught a glimpse of fear at the bottom of the bright blue eyes. The brunette gave her sister a tight smile, hoping it would convey what she could not put into words.

Zelena took a deep breath before picking it up. Regina would have liked to offer her a place away from the others’ prying eyes, but they had no more time to waste.

When she took the pendant, there was a change in the redhead very similar in many ways to the day Regina had taken off the cuff, but also completely different in others. She gasped for a moment, clearly caught by surprise by its power. Then, she seemed to regain a former glow —and the pendant actually shone bright green, recognising its owner’s magic. However, if when Regina had taken off the cuff, Zelena had looked like she was breathing for the first time in a very long time, now she seemed to be taking in a power that threatened to suffocate her otherwise.

After several seconds of absolute stillness, the ginger finally opened her eyes. She looked around confused, or perhaps dubious. When her gaze fixed on Regina, she swallowed and, with a sharp move, she handed out the pendant. The brunette stopped in her tracks for a second when her sister refused to hold her gaze. Then, she felt Rumple move behind her and decided to act nevertheless, unwilling to let him get closer to Zelena.

Regina took the pendant from her and, like the first time, the jewel took with it all magic in the witch’s body. That time, the difference was that the redhead did not fight it and so, it took until the last drop, just as Rumple had wanted. The brunette had not even noticed her sister was heavily leaning against a chair until her legs no longer supported her weight and she fell down on her knees. Right away, she made an attempt to go to her, but Zelena lifted a hand and shook her head.

It seemed it took an eternity for the pendant to stop glowing and absorbing Zelena’s magic. At last, it did and Regina could turn around and give it to Rumple without so much as a second thought. She went to her sister at once, careful not to show too much concern. Right then, she could not let anyone know she was scared to death. At her back, she felt Emma going forward as well.

“You okay?” was the immediate question.

It was a stupid thing to ask, though, because Zelena would not have offered any other answer but a nod. She grabbed her arms and helped her up and on the chair nearby. The redhead was still looking down, breathing heavily, and Regina could not help keeping her hold on one of her hands. She looked back and read Emma’s worry in her eyes. Snow also glanced in her direction and Regina offered them both a curt nod, hoping they would believe there was no need to worry.

She fixed her eyes on Rumple, who had the cursed mirror above Belle and the pendant facing its reflective surface. Little by little, the mirror took in Zelena’s magic until it left the jewel dull and dead. However, nothing happened. They were all holding their breath and Regina was sure she was not the only one thinking their plan might have failed. Yet, after some agonizing seconds, the mirror finally began to expel Belle’s life. Unlike her sister’s green magic, the exiting energy was a light silver substance.

The librarian started to regain some colour in her cheeks, but until the last drop was in her once again, she did not wake up. When she did, her eyes opened slowly and she barely managed to whisper her husband’s name. David and Snow hugged at the happy reencounter and Regina knew her part was done there. She looked down at Zelena, who was contemplating the scene with a blank stare. She was still very pale and the brunette decided it was time to go back home.

She only told Emma so as to leave discreetly and the blonde nodded, understanding.

“Come on, sis,” she prompted the redhead, putting her free hand on her arm.

Perhaps she should have given her some previous warning, because Zelena, lost in thought, flinched away. At once, Regina drew back both of her hands.

The situation became awkward right away, when Zelena looked up and saw it was just her. The redhead opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Regina thought it would be easier to ignore it all.

“Let’s go home, yes?” she whispered, forcing herself to put on a reassuring smile.

Although for a moment Regina doubted she had been heard, Zelena nodded and slowly got up —as if it required a great effort. Out of instinct, the brunette hurried to hold her, so that she could lean on her. Neither uttering a word nor looking back, they left.

There was still sunlight outside and exhaustion could clearly be seen in Zelena’s face.

“The car’s near,” encouraged Regina, but only got a nod.

It took them a little while, but eventually, they managed to get to the Mercedes. The brunette opened the passenger door and her sister got in, muttering ‘Thanks’ at the last moment. She tried not to think it was the first word the redhead had uttered after having had her magic taken away.

Regina drove them back to the mansion. As Zelena did not seem to be in a conversational mood, she turned on the radio, letting the music fill the silence. From time to time, she would glance sideways at her sister. However, her mask was not making it very easy to identify her true emotions and thoughts.

* * *

Regina had fussed over her since they were alone and Zelena had had no strength to refuse it. She knew she should be grateful, but she was too tired to keep thinking what she felt or should feel.

Once they were home, she had gone straight to her room. Her sister had gone with her, making sure she actually got in bed to get some rest. She had rolled her eyes, even though deep down she would admit it was indeed comforting. She had not realised how helpful Regina’s warmth was until the brunette finally went out and Zelena was left alone with her thoughts.

She fidgeted with the blanket. She had insisted on sitting upright in bed and was now idly thinking how huge it was. She was vaguely aware that, after all, her sister was royalty —she probably did not conceive her home being anything but huge.

Zelena was worn out, she should really not think too hard about those little details. And yet, her mind kept wandering without her permission.

She knew her body would recover. It was not the first time it went through a massive loss of magic. And unlike the last time, she was now offered the possibility to rest and regain her strength without the pressure of keeping up a false front.

She had Regina’s support and never before had it revealed so important. At first, she had not believed it could be honest. And, then, she had rarely given it much thought.

The truth was that there was more than a reason why she had been unwilling to go to Rumple’s pawnshop. Their last encounter was still fresh in her mind, but that argument had been too weak against Regina’s iron will. The redhead wished she could have her confidence at certain times. Before she knew it, they were actually there. She had thought at least she would not need to talk. With a bit of luck, they would pay her no attention.

Rumple had spoken, though, fixing his eyes on her, and Zelena had felt real fear. She had known she had to answer. She just needed a moment. She was trying too hard to conceal her emotions to think of an answer. And all of a sudden, her sister was stepping in, fearless. She knew fierceness was no strange emotion to Regina. The natural reaction to Rumple’s request was rejection, of course. Still, she would have expected it would have been born out of mistrust or wariness. However, she was certain Regina had sounded a bit defensive.

She barely managed to shake off her own shock and step in herself, stating she was not going to back off. She doubted Rumple would let her, anyway. Even though he clearly distrusted her motives, he was desperate enough to accept her help, too.

Zelena remembered how Regina had nodded after she had agreed. There had been no bargaining, no thinking twice, not reminding the redhead of what she had to lose if she dared do something foolish. Her sister had just handed out the pendant, smiling ever so slightly. Zelena had just needed to reach out and take it.

In truth, she had not really thought about what she was doing and so, she had not been expecting the rush of power that ran up and down her spine at once. It had left her breathless only to fill her lungs just as quickly. It actually filled her up entirely. And she felt powerful. She felt in control. She felt completely wrong.

She had not realised she had closed her eyes until she had opened them and locked them with Regina’s. Immediately, she remembered what she was supposed to do. She swallowed all her doubts and handed back the pendant.

She repeated to herself that she had had no real doubts about giving it back. Still, when she thought about it now... She could not help replaying Regina’s sure answer. Her gestures, her smiles. The brunette was far surer than Zelena about what was going on.

She had learnt Regina trusted her to a fault, even though she really should not.

Zelena gripped the blanket tighter, suddenly terrified.

Regina’s trust had always felt scary. However, at the back of her mind, she had also known that trust had not been tested. She was powerless and, lately, she had made herself even more vulnerable. When she had taken her pendant, though, she had won all her power back. She could have done anything she had wanted and everyone knew it. Whereas Rumple was desperate and had had no qualms about threatening her, Regina seemed to have unwavering faith in her.

A whimper fell from her lips as tears prickled her eyes. She was going to fail, she just knew it. She did not deserve Regina’s blind trust.

Zelena was no hero. If she were, she would feel like one when she did the right thing. Instead, she just felt like she was deceiving everyone. What if she ended up resenting her choice and, therefore, Regina? She remembered how empty and weak she had felt as her sister took the pendant from her outstretched hand and her gut wrenched.

A soft knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. She had almost no time to compose herself as Regina came in.

“Hey, I thought you’d want something to eat.” The brunette’s kind face wavered when she looked at the redhead. “Are you feeling all right?”

She gulped, nodding and smiling apologetically.

“I’m sorry, I’m not hungry. I’d just rather sleep.”

Her sister did not give up.

“Just a little, okay? And I’ll leave you alone. But you need to eat.”

Zelena looked down, unable to stand such kindness for much longer without breaking down in tears.

“Can I ask you something?”

She had not meant to say it out loud, but she did not regret it. Her doubts were burning her tongue.

“Of course,” replied Regina right away. She put down the tray and sat on the bed.

Zelena took a deep breath as she bit back her tears. Then, she gazed up, fixing her eyes on Regina’s confused features.

“How were you so sure I’d do the right thing?”

Only in those brown eyes she could read the surprise for her question.

“I trust you.”

The easy answer made Zelena feel like her heart was truly breaking a little. She blinked to clear her gaze.

“Why?” she insisted.

Regina smiled, as if everything was okay, and put her hands over Zelena’s.

“Because we wanted the same thing: a family. And that’s what we’ve become. Besides love, family is built upon trust.”

The redhead shook her head sadly. She did not call out her sister’s naivety immediately, though.

“You had no way to know temptation wouldn’t overcome my current feelings. With my pendant back, I could’ve done anything. And yet, you didn’t even doubt. I can’t do that.”

“What do you mean?” Regina must not have understood, because she sounded curious rather than upset.

“I want to trust you as well. I really do, and I thought I did. But I was terrified, both when we went to Rumple’s and when the removal of my magic left me so weak. I knew you’d protect me and wouldn’t let anything happen to me. And still, I was scared stiff because I was vulnerable.” Her eyes had welled up with unshed tears again and she had to look away for a moment, although she did fix her gaze on Regina before going on. “You’ve given me more reasons to trust you than I have and yet, it’s me who can’t trust anyone completely. I don’t deserve it, sis. I—”

“Zelena.” Her rant was cut off by Regina’s serious voice. It made the redhead stiffen. “No one can ask you to put aside all your issues just because you’ve been treated decently for the first time. I understand why you find both having someone’s trust and trusting so frightening. It proves you’re human and trying to be someone different and better from what you’d learned to —nothing else.”

Zelena squeezed her hands, not knowing very well what she was looking for.

“Do you really think so?”

“I know so,” Regina answered firmly. Then, she offered her another little smile. “Cut yourself some slack. You came with me to Rumple’s shop and you gave me your pendant back as I knew you would. That’s all I need to know you do trust me, despite everything.”

Emotion overcame Zelena and stopped her from speaking for a while. No one had ever talked to her as her sister did. They had some common experiences, so Regina’s speeches showed her she could make it, too.

“Thank you, sis.”

The redhead could not hold back any longer. She launched at Regina, barely hesitating before hugging her. The brunette received her with open arms and hugged her back straight away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two more chapters to go! Feedback is always very much appreciated. =)


	21. Chapter 21

Regina smiled at her son and her sister as the latter put the last plate of pancakes down and took a seat as well. All Mills were finally at the table and her nerves grew at the thought that the time to break the news had come.

“I need to ask you something,” she blurted out, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. Henry looked at her without stopping chewing, while Zelena just lifted her eyebrows as she sipped her tea. “It’s nothing bad, but if you don’t want to, I’ll understand. Really. Maybe I’m rushing things. I haven’t even asked him and—”

“Sis,” Zelena cut her off, looking utterly unimpressed, “every time you say you’re going to announce something which isn’t bad scares me more than if it actually were. Get it out at once, please.”

Regina’s eyes went wide open in indignation and Henry laughed. Then, he hurried to look at his mother apologetically.

“Sorry, Mom, but I have to agree with Auntie Zelena.”

The brunette rolled her eyes, biting back her own sarcastic retort. She did not want their chat to wander off.

“You both know Robin and I have been together for a few months. We’re good and things have been finally quiet for some time, too. I also believe we all make a pretty good family. So, I’ve been thinking and... I’d like him and Roland to move here permanently. Only if you agree, though,” she finished, not managing to fully hide her expectation behind a false nonchalant front.

She remembered the morning she had asked Henry for his permission to bring Zelena home. Back then, she had not been sure she would have his approval. At present, however, she did have hope they would both be okay with it.

“That would be awesome, Mom,” Henry stated finally, after only a few seconds of silence that, however, felt like an eternity for her. She was delighted to see he truly seemed happy with the idea.

She turned look at her sister, who just shrugged.

“I have nothing else to add. It’s fine.”

With Zelena, she could never be completely sure on occasions like that, but the redhead sounded sincere enough. Regina smiled brightly, not bothering to hide her relief.

“I haven’t asked him yet,” she reminded them when her own happiness began to feel a little overwhelming.

Zelena rolled her eyes, with that newfound confidence that the brunette found so refreshing.

“I bet his answer will take us all by surprise.”

Henry laughed again and Regina felt her cheeks growing a bit hotter. She complained about their complicity, even though it was a dream come true. Just a few months ago, she would never have dared wish such a thing on any star.

* * *

Robin and Roland moved there as soon as Regina asked them. Zelena was happy for her sister —after all, she deserved all the love she got. Besides, nothing truly changed with their arrival. At meal times, any of the adults would cook. All the while, Regina would keep making sure everything was in its place and Robin would still marvel at the technology from time to time. The house was constantly full of laughter and chat as well. In addition, at night, if Regina woke up, she would still get up and check in on everyone. If Zelena had had a bad night and was awake, too, they would sit and talk like before, even though the redhead knew that someone was waiting for Regina in bed.

Their peaceful dynamic seemed to lack nothing. Perhaps it was the reason why Zelena had never thought a change should be made.

That day, the ginger had agreed to meet her sister in a couple of hours. They were finally going to head to the graveyard. Both felt they were ready and it was definitely about time. The mayor had some paperwork to finish until then, so Zelena went for a walk to clear her mind.

She aimed for the woods and let the town behind. She did not recognise where her feet had led her until trees gave way to a barren landscape. She stopped at the border, not quite giving up the woods’ protection as she looked at her old farmhouse. She had thought about it sometimes at the beginning, but it had been long forgotten since then. That house had never managed to mean anything. Her home was Regina’s.

She sighed, because she could think whatever she liked, but she felt a pull towards it anyway. In the end, she started to walk in its direction.

As she reached it, she could see it had suffered great deterioration. The windows were broken, some graffiti covered the walls and someone had broken down the front door. Zelena gulped, feeling the deep-rooted hatred in its damage. It was chaotic, vast. If she had had magic, she could have fixed it easily. She would have to ask Regina, though.

Nevertheless, why would she be interested in fixing it at all?

Acting on impulse, she stepped in. The door, plus broken window glass, creaked under her shoes. The place was utterly wrecked and sunlight was lighting the scene up with startling clarity. For a second, Zelena wondered how long it had been since anyone had set foot there. Maybe the thugs who had broken in were the same ones that threw an explosive object at Regina’s house. Maybe not, maybe they were just troublemaking children. Or maybe they were even adults, who had come when she was captured to rack through the Wicked Witch’s lair. Had whoever it was expected she would come back and see it someday?

She looked around, feeling her stomach clench. Of course they had not, but only because they had surely expected she would be dead or, at least, imprisoned for life. She was not, though. And yet, coming back to that place had never crossed her mind. She certainly felt her home was on Mifflin Street.

She wondered whether she should even tell Regina about what had happened in the farmhouse. And all of a sudden, a thought came to mind. She had not felt things needed to change —and the brunette had never suggested otherwise—, but perhaps they were all expecting her to move out eventually. The mansion was already full and it was what people usually did as they became adults. She had just never thought about it before.

She stood there on her own for another while, until she realised what time it was and hurried to go back. Even though she continued failing to find any loophole in her reasoning, she decided she would talk it out with Regina before making any decision. The brunette usually showed her a point of view that had not even crossed Zelena’s mind.

Her little sister was waiting for her when she arrived, but did not ask where she had been. Actually, they got in the car barely uttering a word. They were probably too busy thinking through for the very first time what they were about to do. It actually became worse when they tried to bring up any topic to fill the quiet, for neither of them was really paying much attention to their conversation. It showed they were no longer used to awkward silences.

As they finally reached the cemetery, they got out of the car and Regina led the way to the family mausoleum. She threw a pensive look at the plaque that bore her father’s name, but then, she pushed the false coffin without a second thought and they descended the steps to her vault together.

Despite not having her powers, Zelena could sense magic now that the cuff had been taken off. And, down there, its presence was much stronger than at any other place —with the exception, perhaps, of Rumple’s shop. Dark magic invaded every corner and she could not help flinching at the electric feeling in the air. Regina’s back was facing her, so she did not see it as she led her to another room. The redhead used that time to get hold of herself.

In a hidden room, there was a real wooden coffin with Cora’s name and the inscription ‘Beloved mother’ engraved on a dark plaque. Zelena did not expect to feel the lump in her throat at that sight and it froze her in her tracks. She glanced at Regina dubiously, not knowing what to do. The brunette was not looking at her, though. She had carried a little bouquet with herself and was taking a couple of flowers and putting them over another plaque on the wall. She did the same with a third plaque.

There was something about Regina —her solemnity, her obviously concealed emotions— that stopped Zelena from interrupting. She was itching to get closer and see the other names and yet, she did not want to move away from Cora’s coffin, either. So she had no other option but to wait patiently until the brunette turned to her.

“Mother’s is the only body that’s here, but I still like to put flowers on Daddy’s and Daniel’s tombs anyway,” she confessed softly, answering a question her sister had not asked.

Both of them had their eyes fixed ahead, on Cora’s coffin, and so, Zelena had to risk a side-glance to find out what Regina was feeling. She was shocked to see that, whereas the other woman’s face was a mask of raw emotion, she could not name it.

“Do you think he would’ve hated it?” the brunette asked unexpectedly after a few seconds in silence. It seemed the question had haunted her for long, although Zelena had no clue what she was referring to. It was cleared up soon enough. “That I’d come here to visit him, in the same room as his murderer.”

The redhead remembered her sister telling her, so long ago, about how their mother had killed her true love. She gulped, focusing her gaze on the coffin once again. She would have wanted to tell Regina the only thing that coming down there showed was the size of her heart. She also wished to say Daniel would not doubt how much she had loved him —enough to still play an important role in her life after so many years. She said nothing of that, though, because she would have felt as if she was talking about things she could not truly understand.

“I think he wouldn’t have wanted anything for you but to be able to move on and leave the past behind,” she offered before the silence could become awkward.

The brunette turned to her. Her slightly startled face broke into a grateful smile a second later. Zelena gave her a small smile in return.

“Do you want to?” Regina asked suddenly, changing the subject and handing out the flowers that had been left.

The only answer she got was an open mouth. The ginger had been caught by surprise and words were stuck in her throat. She was about to refuse out of instinct and a bit of fear. However, Regina’s eyes were silently encouraging her to take it. And so, she did.

She had to close her eyes for a moment, overwhelmed, when she put them down on the top of the coffin. She had not the furthest clue why she was feeling so much pain. She owed nothing to Cora. She even dared say she despised her. She was usually frustrated at her and feeling angry was so much easier than feeling hurt. And yet, she was undoubtedly grieving for the biological mother who had never wanted her. For the woman who had hurt her little sister and let her grow up oblivious to the redhead’s mere existence.

Almost without being aware of it, Zelena reached out for Regina’s hand. As they looked each other in the eye, they needed no words to agree on ending their visit.

As they got out and breathed in some fresh air, the ginger reflected about what had happened in the vault. Her sister would be the perfect person to discuss her turbulent feelings towards Cora. However, she felt she had no strength for that conversation right then. If Regina had expected them to have it —Zelena had—, she did not show it. They walked around for a bit as the redhead realised the actual outcome was no disappointment. She squeezed Regina’s hand and the other woman squeezed back, smiling at her warmly.

After a moment, silence became a little stifling and Zelena decided to break it.

“I’ve been at my farmhouse earlier,” she confessed softly, fixing her eyes on the ground.

Yet, when the answer she got was a simple ‘Oh,’ she felt compelled to elaborate further.

“I don’t know if I should move there.”

Regina halted right away and Zelena felt cold dread stopping her from breathing as she waited for her reaction. It was more difficult to keep looking away when they were no longer moving.

“Do you...? I mean, you’re free to go now. It’s up to you.”

Her sister’s words made dread become a dead weight that dropped to the bottom of her stomach. She bit her lip, trying to get hold of herself. Their hands were still intertwined and she did not want Regina to notice they were trembling.

She had been expecting the brunette to call her silly and get that idea out of her head at once. Instead, she had been reminded that she could go. And even though her sister had sounded surprised at the beginning, she had become very collected quickly. Her voice was not honest —she was just being polite. For once, Zelena had been right in her fears, as she was sure they must have been expecting her to leave for a while now.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to raise her eyes. She opened her mouth to apologise —because she had not meant to, she did not know—, but finally thought better of it. Regina had reproached her nothing and they could finish that conversation without drama. They were adults, it was not the end of their relationship.

“I’ll get my things and move as soon as possible.” She could not stand Regina’s dark gaze after all and ended up looking away. She chose to fix her blue eyes on some spot on the horizon of the same colour. “I need you to fix the house windows, though. And perhaps some other damage,” she said as a faint blush started to cover her cheeks. Even when she was trying to get out of her sister’s hair, she was still depending upon her somehow.

“Sis, but there’s no rush, right?” Regina pulled her hands lightly, forcing her to meet her eyes. Zelena was taken aback when she saw that the brunette looked nervous. “You don’t have to move out right away. I mean, if that’s what you want, I won’t oppose. I’ll help you fix the house ASAP, but—”

“Regina, you don’t have to feel guilty,” the redhead cut off her incoherent rambling —because it made no sense at all. “I get it, really. I don’t want to be in the way. There are a lot of people living at home... I mean, at your house, right now. And, to be honest, I’m the only adult who doesn’t contribute to anything. I’m really not upset that you want to share your life with the children and Robin.”

She shut up abruptly, because the brunette only kept looking at her open-mouthedly, seemingly unable to utter a word. Zelena’s cheeks grew hotter by the minute, but she had no clue how to fix it. Eventually, Regina closed her mouth, although she needed a little longer to find something to say.

“Sis,” she managed to get out at last, “I really have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you think I want you to go?” she asked, sounding genuinely lost and confused.

“Don’t you?” Zelena blurted out warily, though.

If it was really so, she could not understand why her sister had not tried to hold her back.

“Of course not!” was Regina’s forceful answer. She held onto her tighter, maybe feeling the redhead did not quite believe her. “I thought you wanted to go, so I didn’t want you to feel forced to stay.”

Zelena’s shocked expression must have amused the brunette, because she let out a relieved laugh without waiting for her reply. Before the redhead knew it, she was being enveloped in a hug.

“I want to stay,” she whispered for good measure after a moment, when she felt her voice would not betray her.

“For as long as you want,” Regina muttered back. “I want to share my life with my sister, too.”

Zelena’s only thought was ‘Damn’ —she felt incredibly stupid and relieved at the same time. Regina was saying all those extraordinary things, putting all her heart in them. It should have been easy to believe her words. And yet, said words had never been said to the ginger, so they could not be taken lightly. No one had actually fought so hard for her. And Regina’s words sounded like a promise that she would have all the time in the world to get used to being loved.

* * *

Summer was coming, as warm as it could get in Maine. They all tried to enjoy the longer days, so it was not odd that Zelena found herself out in the backyard with the children that afternoon. The boys had been trying to fly a kite, but lack of wind had forced them to give up a while ago. Now, they were just kicking a ball around, while the redhead watched them amused —it was indeed comical to see them panic every time the ball came too close to Regina’s plants. Eventually, it landed right on the rose bushes.

Zelena shook her head at their dramatic antics —her sister would be a little upset for sure, but it would be no tragedy. There was no time to avoid what happened next, though.

They rushed to the bushes, but as Henry tried to figure out the best way to retrieve their toy, Roland went for it not minding the thorns. That is, until he yelled and fell on his bottom. He had retrieved the ball after all, but he no longer seemed concerned with it. He had started to bawl, his eyes fixed on the drops of blood that ran down his arm. Henry crouched down by his side right away and Zelena was there, too, a second later. She put a hand on his small back, trying to comfort him.

“It’s okay, Roland. It’s just a scratch,” she said kindly. His sobs did not quiet down, though, and she looked up. As she met Henry’s reassuring smile, she managed to keep her own nervousness under control. “Let’s go inside to treat it, all right?” she tried again.

However, the young child shook his head, still weeping miserably. He calmed himself down just enough to stammer out five words.

“I want Papa. And Regina.”

Zelena’s hand stilled for a moment, as she felt a familiar pang of rejection. She hurried to dismiss it, though. It was natural for a child to call out for their parents. It had nothing to do with her and she resumed tracing circles on his back.

“Okay,” she agreed, keeping her voice soft. She turned to her nephew. “Henry, can you go inside and fetch them?”

The boy nodded at once and, after a last few words of encouragement to Roland, he ran to the house. Zelena let out a soft sigh, her focus back on the hurt child.

Some time ago, the redhead had told Regina she was a natural with kids. The brunette had not been shocked by her compliment, but she had taken her older sister by surprise answering so was Zelena. The former witch had never thought she could be good with other people, let alone children. She usually felt awkward around them, as she had had no role models to know what she was supposed to do in those situations. She tried to be gentle, of course, but Regina and Robin were the ones who mostly handled tantrums and behaviour crisis. Yet, she could not deny the brunette was right, either, when she pointed out it had taken no time for Henry and Roland to take a shine to her, given the circumstances that had preceded her arrival.

Thus, she let herself be guided by her instincts and continued speaking quietly to the kid once again.

“Can I see your arm, sweetheart?”

Roland looked up at her with big, wet eyes and ended up offering a shy little nod. As gently as she was able to, she took his small limb. It was a shallow scratch, but pretty long. It was no mystery that, besides surely hurting, it had frightened him badly.

“It’s going to be all right,” she assured him and, whereas her voice was honest, she had to force a calm smile on her face.

She fixed her gaze back on the cut, examining it up close only to find out that a thorn was still embedded in his skin. She glanced up at the door that led to the kitchen, but no one was coming yet. Biting her lip, she tried to make up her mind.

“Roland, sweetheart, you still have a thorn stuck. I should remove it. May I?”

He tensed right away and did not agree. Yet, he did not refuse, either. He had stopped crying completely, so Zelena took it as a sign that he was calmer. She sat down by his side and, very slowly, took hold of his arm, minding the wound. Brown eyes followed every move, but Roland did not protest. Only when she reached out for the thorn, he spoke up, stopping her immediately.

“Zelena, d’you call Henry ‘sweetheart’?” he asked in a low voice filled with curiosity.

The strange question caught her by surprise. She had no idea where he wanted to get with that question, but it seemed innocent enough.

“No, I don’t think so,” she answered honestly, briefly thinking about whether she was, in fact, in the habit of using some endearment with her nephew.

She could see the wheels turning in his head.

“Regina calls us that sometimes,” he replied, referring to himself and Henry. “Is your word just for me? Like when Henry calls you ‘Auntie’?”

Her mouth hung wide open. Zelena did not dare guess where their conversation was going. Besides, she had not the faintest clue how to answer that, anyway. She was actually starting to feel weird and the point where their skins were touching felt strangely warm. She may have no motives to be so nervous, but she could not understand either why Regina was not there already —even though Roland seemed to have forgotten about his pain.

“I— I don’t know. I don’t think these sorts of words have to belong to just one person,” she tried to explain awkwardly. She was beginning to think she did not know what they were talking about.

“Dunno,” he said, not very convinced by her answer. His carefree reply reminded her of Henry. “I’ve never had an aunt.” He locked his eyes with hers and Zelena saw they were bright and not because of tears that time. “So, can I call you ‘Auntie,’ too?”

If she had been rendered speechless before, she was now frozen on the spot as well. Without being completely aware of it, she slid her fingers down his arm, as if to hold his wrist and beg him to make sense. When she realised she must have touched his wound, she drew back her hand, deeply horrified. She waited for a long second, but no pained gasp came. Roland also seemed to notice something was not right and looked down at his limb curiously.

The redhead could not bring herself to swallow down her panic, even though she could see she had not hurt him further. She forced herself to look down, too. There was no dry blood, no injury at all, actually. His brown skin was unscathed, as impossible as it was.

Zelena’s mouth was shamelessly hanging open as Roland let out a happy cry, not noticing her shock or her fear. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Regina and Robin had finally arrived. Just her luck. She could not come up with an answer for what had happened yet. Although it seemed that, for once, someone else had a theory that involved magic while she was just plainly confused.

“You healed it! Like Regina!” was his emphatic reasoning. Roland launched at her neck, giving her no time to keep reflecting. He had yet to surprise her some more. “Thanks, Auntie Zelena.”

At least, she managed to pat him on the back before he sprinted to where the couple was standing. She could hear how he narrated what had happened excitedly —he actually made her role much bigger than it had been. The redhead did not dare look back to see the expression on their faces, though. She was too startled, too embarrassed. So she just remained still, sitting on the soft grass.

She lost track of time and was shaken out of her thoughts by a light weight on her shoulder. She looked up to meet Regina’s gaze. Her brown eyes were not clouded with worry —rather, they were soft and kind. Zelena found out she liked that not everything was a matter of life and death.

By then, there was no one but them in the backyard and the ginger relaxed ever so slightly. The brunette did not say anything at first. She just smiled and sat next to her, even though she risked staining her expensive pantsuit.

“Care to tell me your own version?”

Although Regina’s voice was somewhat playful, she was genuinely seeking an answer to her question.

“I don’t think mine’s half as exciting as Roland’s,” she muttered, staring down at her hands. She had tried to crack a smile, but it felt too artificial. “I don’t know what happened, to be honest. I didn’t even notice I was doing magic. I don’t feel any different.”

Regina barely needed a moment to think before offering her own answer. She had probably reflected about it already.

“Maybe that’s because magic’s been in your system for a while now without you realising.”

Zelena looked her in the eye, agreeing it was the most logical theory. The brunette did not look alarmed or even surprised, though. She was at ease, as if she had received good news. She might understand better than anyone, even the redhead herself, that magic was and would always be an essential part of her older sister.

“Don’t you want it?” Regina asked, frowning when she saw her sister was obviously not feeling the same.

“I... I don’t know. I guess I should be happy. I just thought... And I’ve never done healing spells. Everything feels just too strange, sis.”

She sounded utterly lost, even to her own ears. Her gaze wandered around the backyard and shame started to colour her cheeks. Regina’s huff answered her doubts right away.

“Leave it to my magic geek sister to perform healing spells for the first time without even realising.”

“Hey!” the redhead protested immediately, not caring it was exactly the reaction the other woman had sought. A moment later, they were both chuckling.

Zelena wanted to thank her for lifting her spirits —and for always having the right answer, apparently—, but she had no time.

“You’re damn right, you should be happy,” Regina stated, having sobered up a little. “And we should be celebrating it.”

The brunette got on her feet and reached out for her sister, as if there was nothing else to discuss. Zelena got up as well, smiling brightly. Then, she shook her head a little, because it was too easy to let herself be carried away by such a confident voice.

“We haven’t stopped celebrating things since I got here,” she reminded her, with no specific purpose in mind. Regina remained unfazed.

“What else did you expect?” she rebutted. “I’ve got my sister with me. It was her who told me I should appreciate what I have.”

And it had been no easy journey, but they had both learnt to enjoy it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, this used to be the end, but now we have a new epilogue to look forward to, so stay tuned!  
Also, two vignettes have been posted on _Imagine If..._ \---> [Tech Geek](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465270/chapters/54338119) & [Hangover](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465270/chapters/54506452). They both take place some time after the ending of this fic.  
Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!


	22. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd always had this idea running through my mind, although I didn't really think of writing it until I told Mary about it one night. (Sorry, darling, I really wanted you to read this first, but I didn't revise it until today.) I wrote half of it in one sitting two years ago, finally resuming it and finishing it in October 2019. As such, I hope it doesn't feel disconnected.  
Thanks to everyone that's ever commented, bookmarked or left kudos in this series —especially Allthestoriesrtrue24601, who is also willing to help me out with English stuff whenever I need it. I hope you all enjoyed the journey as much as I did. Don't forget that I am always excited to read your thoughts on it.

**A couple of months later.**

For a few days following the incident with Roland, Zelena had been on edge. However, Regina had not said a word about it after that day —never even asked whether the redhead was using _it_. And so, her wariness had eventually worn off. The topic was thankfully forgotten.

Of course, she was not using it. She was not even sure if she had any control over it and she was far from anxious to find out. Despite having light magic at the moment, she was very aware of how easily it could be corrupted. Indeed, being light had not stopped her powers from breaking Regina’s spell and making her escape attempt possible a year ago. Thus, she had chosen to focus on her family and her new life, ignoring whatever magic she had regained altogether. It was such a weak thing that, at the beginning, it had looked like an easy task.

The first few weeks, it had actually worked. Roland had become tired of asking for new tricks after several days and Henry had taken the hint the second time he had brought up the subject. They were children, though, and their questions held no malice —Zelena had got out of them as well as she had been able to. And then, her magic had decided all on its own that being ignored was not the way to go.

It had started small, nothing threatening, like water temperature regulating itself or a refreshing breeze blowing out of the blue. She had chosen to ignore it, so as to avoid thinking about her fiddle control over it. Fortunately, it was also too faint for her sister to notice the characteristic feeling left in the air by her powers after each burst. Since it did not truly pose a problem, Zelena would have been fine if only it had remained that way. However, things had only escalated from there.

For the last two weeks, her magic had really been acting up: summoning objects in her hand from across the room or opening and closing doors before she had a chance to think about it. Rationally, she knew these little bursts of magic were far from being elaborated, dangerous spells. Yet, she did not live alone. Regina had magic herself, but Robin did not and the children were especially vulnerable. The redhead had no clue what the couple’s opinion on her having her powers back was and it was just her luck that, the second time her magic acted up in somebody else’s presence, they were the witnesses.

The mayor and her boyfriend had been cooking when Zelena had joined them —in truth, she had been bored out of her mind, so she had gone down looking for an excuse to bicker with her sister. Robin seemed to find their culinary verbal matches quite amusing, as they never seemed to agree on how to cook meals properly. Everything had felt good-naturedly and familiar, right until Regina had asked him to hand over the pepper jar. The ginger had then felt a slight tingle on the tip of her fingers and she had looked up in time to see the faintest trace of light green smoke already fading away. Her blue eyes had darted down at her hand, where the spice currently was, and it had taken her a fair amount of effort to lift her gaze again. The two of them were gazing back at her, with similar startled looks on their faces. Zelena had felt her own cheeks go red and swallowed down the instinctive panic that had flared up. She had straightened up right away, clearing her throat.

“Sorry,” she had muttered, before shoving the pepper jar into Regina’s hands. She would not look at anyone. “I’ll go set the table.”

She had run away then, giving them no chance to react. Later, during dinner, no one had dared mention it. While it had brought her immense relief, she was clueless about what it meant. Part of her knew that she was overreacting —freaking out because her uncontrolled magic bursts were becoming far too frequent. She could not understand how her younger self had achieved more control over it than she had at the moment. It was as if her magic were actively rebelling against herself and the thought would not leave her mind. And yet, to all appearances, she was the only one stressing over it. Her magic kept showing up from time to time and, if Regina was concerned, she never voiced it, which was odd in itself. In all fairness, the brunette did look like she wanted to say something when incidents happened, but Zelena was extremely careful to make herself scarce —until that night when she, unaware of what the future would bring, thought that luck had failed her completely.

It was late, so the kids were already sleeping, whereas Robin was on a night out with his Merry Men. The sisters were sitting on the couch and the movie was proving to be pretty dull. Zelena’s fingertips had been tingling for a while, as if itching to switch the TV channel, and she was focusing all her will on restraining the feeling. She had not noticed how stiff she had become until Regina snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Is everything okay?”

The brunette was frowning at her more gravely than the situation warranted, so Zelena hurried to assure her everything was just fine. The first response she received was an eye roll.

“You’re tense as a bowstring, sis. What’s the matter?”

The redhead could not help blushing at having been caught. Sometimes, she hated how well the other woman knew her.

“Why don’t you want to tell me?” Regina asked suddenly, not waiting long for an answer to her previous question. Her frown had deepened and her voice had become softer.

“It’s nothing–,” the ginger started to say, but she cut herself off when her sister scooted closer.

It happened very fast —too fast to see it coming, though it would sound like an empty excuse later on. Regina reached out, barely putting a hand on her shoulder before recoiling with a choked gasp. Zelena did not react at all, utterly paralysed as she could still feel it humming under her skin. She tried to ask what had happened, but her tongue sat like lead in her mouth.

“Ouch,” Regina whined. “I wasn’t going to force an answer out of you. Another ‘no’ would’ve been enough.”

Even though her words lacked bite, Zelena was still too aware of her wild heartbeat as well as the magic crackling inside, asking for another second of freedom.

“Hey, it’s okay,” her sister reassured her, breaking the silence after a couple of seconds. She actually reached out again and quickly grabbed the redhead’s hand. “I got a shock, that’s all.”

The older woman attempted to tug her hand free, to no avail. She was trying very hard to remain calm, but the brunette was not helping much.

“It’s not...” she faltered, still feeling quite frozen. “My magic did it.”

“It’s all right, sis. I know it can be difficult to control after getting it back.”

Zelena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing the damn tingling would go away.

“That’s no excuse. I hurt you, I’m–”

“No, no apologies, not for this. I didn’t get hurt.”

Regina’s voice was firm and the redhead did not know how to explain she was actually wrong, so she chose to heed her words for the time being. She forced her muscles to relax and her sister squeezed her hand. Or perhaps Zelena did.

“I’ve got no bloody idea why I’m having so much trouble, to be honest,” she started, hesitantly. She fixed her eyes on their hands. “It’s not as if... It was never this frequent back ho– back in Oz. You’d think it would be easier to relearn control.” She tried to laugh off the last sentence and failed miserably.

There was a long silence while Regina seemed to ponder her answer.

“I guess you had a stronger motivation to keep it in a tight leash back there,” she finally replied. She bit down on every word, although the redhead could tell she was trying hard to rein in her temper.

Zelena did not get her meaning right away. It had simply never occurred to her that fear could be the reason why she could control her magic better as a child. After the realisation hit her, all she could utter was a quiet “Oh.” They stayed in silence after that, each lost in her thoughts.

“I should go to bed,” the ginger spoke up at last, a bit awkwardly.

When she looked up, Regina was still frowning ever so slightly. Upon meeting her eyes, however, the brunette smoothed her features and smirked.

“Is that the old lady’s way of saying it’s getting late?”

Zelena rolled her eyes and smirked back, getting on her feet. The mayor let go of her hand.

“All right, I’ll let you off the hook for now. You won’t be so lucky next time, though,” was her promise.

“Whatever,” she muttered, unable to hide her smile completely. Petulantly, she thought that luck had never been her friend anyway and she had made it just fine. She did not even consider the possibility that next time there would be other people involved.

* * *

Henry was not usually very interested in cooking unless he wanted something from either his mother or his aunt. Currently, he was helping Zelena with dinner, chatting away about his day. Not very subtly, he had attempted to obtain her support in getting Regina to buy him a new console. The redhead would not mind planting the idea in her sister’s mind later on, but she did not want to get his hopes up in case it did not work. Thus, she was dodging his pleas for the time being.

She put water to boil and, right away, her magic seemingly jumped at the chance to help. She had barely felt the annoying tingling for the past two days —the comment about her motivation to keep it under control had provided food for thought. She had no clue how their chat had managed to subdue it, but she was grateful for the respite nevertheless. At that moment, the sudden rush of power took her by surprise and her first reaction was to repress it, which only made it grow stronger. The water, despite being on the stove for less than a minute, looked about to boil.

“Auntie?”

Her nephew’s voice forced her to look away from the pot.

“It’s okay, Henry,” she said, but her visible nervousness betrayed her words. She took a step back when he stepped forward. “Don’t come closer,” she snapped, more harshly than she had intended, and the boy flinched.

“What’s going on?” he insisted, though. “Should I call Mom?”

Contradictory answers fought in Zelena’s mind for a moment —a moment too long, because he stepped forward yet again. A decisive expression was on his face, as if stating he was not afraid. He might not be, but she was terrified. She felt the heat wanting to break the liquid surface as much as her magic wished to be released.

“No! Stay away, Henry. Go call Regina. Go...” The words died in her mouth as two things happened almost at once.

In an apparent effort to get closer without setting her off again, he put himself between the stove and his aunt. Right then, the water boiled violently, spraying everywhere —including Henry.

His pained cry prompted her to take a step towards him that time. However, she regained her senses quickly and froze. The whole situation was her fault. There was also no need to get Regina, as the brunette showed up at the kitchen door alerted by the noise.

“What happened?” she asked, barging in without waiting for an answer.

Zelena backed herself against the wall, looking at the other woman as she tended to her son, who had tears in his eyes and was hesitant to touch his shoulder. The redhead could just stare in horror. What she had done was dawning on her. She tried to get some words out, but only managed to open her mouth before the lights started to flicker on and off. She could still feel whatever water was left in the pot boiling, too. There were plenty of more dangerous items in a kitchen, though, and the thought made her blood run cold.

“Zelena!” The yell tore through her haze. Regina had her eyes fixed on her, but she was unable to decipher what lay behind them. She did not think of asking, either, too much of a coward to truly want to find out. “Out, now!”

Her sister was pointing at the door while the lights continued to flicker, threatening a headache. That time, the ginger could hear impatience in the sharp command and, finally, she understood. She had to leave.

She did not dare look back as she practically ran out of the kitchen and past the front door. Even then, she did not stop. She kept walking, her pace becoming less and less frantic as she crossed the town and her energy burnt off. By the time she reached the Troll Bridge, she had to pause to catch her breath. She closed her eyes, hoping the sound of the river beneath would help to calm her heart. She realised her eyes stung, although there were no tears, and the tingling had finally faded away, not a hum left behind.

* * *

She had the feeling that time had stopped. After resting at the bridge for a few minutes, she had marched on through the forest. She was soon lost, just as she had thought she wanted. However, once she was surrounded by nothing but trees and the cool breeze of Maine late summer, she crumbled down. The last thing she wanted was to be alone. She wanted to be home. She wanted to go back to the past, just a few months ago, when she had believed her magic was gone forever.

She wanted Regina to find her.

The realisation was devastating, more so since she was very aware of how little she deserved it. Not only had she hurt Henry, she had hurt her sister before as well. And she had done nothing to avoid further incidents. She was dangerous to be around, for she could not seem to stop hurting people, no matter how much she claimed to have changed. She should never be allowed to return to the mansion.

She thought about what her future may bring. She did not come up with much. The likeliest and most terrifying possibility was to be locked up in a cell, maybe contained in her old farmhouse. Yet, as darkness started to settle in and no one came hunting her down, she could not help thinking this approach was smarter: letting her rot away in the deep forest, so that they would not have to deal with the issue at all. She might walk to the farmhouse herself in the morning if she survived the night. At the moment, she was too tired to move.

It did not take her long to begin second-guessing herself, though. It was getting colder and her refusal to use magic in order to conjure some fire did not help. As bad as her childhood had been, she had never spent the night outside and she had underestimated how frightened and exposed she would feel. Still, there was not much she could currently do about it, given that trying to find her way in the dark would be futile.

She leant back all the way against a tree. It was really ironic that the first story she had ever told Henry was about how she had got lost in the forest and her powers had saved the day. She would miss him —_them_—, but it would be all right, she thought resolutely. She had survived much worse and Regina and Henry had plenty of people that would take care of them.

She must have closed her eyes while daydreaming —or perhaps she had actually dozed off—, for she did not notice her sister’s presence until the brunette was fairly close to her. Zelena held her breath and pressed herself harder against the tree trunk, as if attempting to melt into it. She watched Regina tripping, cursing and, inexorably, walking right towards her. The torch must have been blinding her, because the ginger thought her sister would actually step on her before having a chance to see her. And yet, she remained silent.

“Zelena!” a familiar voice exclaimed as the footsteps ceased. The bright light was directed at her, so she looked away. Despite hearing Regina’s obvious relief in her voice, it was soon replaced by irritation. “What the hell are you playing at? I’ve been looking for you for hours! I was worried sick.”

As the redhead kept avoiding her sister’s intense gaze, she saw a book drop just in front of her. She understood the situation right away —the brunette had used a locator spell. However, that piece of information did not match with her alleged long search.

“I’ve been here the whole time,” she muttered, picking up the book. It should not have worked, since it was originally from Regina’s library. She gulped as she reached the conclusion that she must truly have considered it hers in order for the spell to work.

The torch was pointed to the ground, but Zelena would rather stare at the illuminated patch of grass than lift her gaze. Regina let out a huff, apparently a bit calmer.

“I didn’t think about using magic at first, okay? Can we go back now, please? It’s late, you must be freezing and Henry won’t go to bed until I return with you.”

When the redhead tried to swallow down the lump in her throat, she was less successful than before. She got up slowly, still looking everywhere but at her sister.

“I’m not going back to your place,” she forced herself to say. The words did not feel her own. It was as if another person was talking while she just drank in the interaction like a fascinated bystander.

“What?” Incredulity was clearly conveyed in that single word. Zelena reckoned Regina was trying to meet her gaze. Yet, the moment she looked at the brown eyes, she knew her courage would fail her. “Where else would you go to? You told me yourself the farmhouse isn’t fit to live in.” The tone became softer abruptly —an attempt to avoid faltering. “What’s going on? Are you angry with me?”

At last, blue eyes snapped up in surprise. Regina’s face was an open book, but there were too many emotions happening at once to read them.

“No! Of course not. I’ll fix the farmhouse when I move in. It’ll be no problem. I’m just taking the decision away from you, so it’s easier.”

“I don’t want any decisions taken away from me, sis,” the brunette said in a hard voice. “And I’m afraid you’re stuck with me while you don’t have a suitable place to go. As much as I’d like to know what’s going on, I’m running out of patience. I’ll poof us home and you can explain yourself there if you want.”

Regina did not sound like she honestly cared to listen to her side of the story at that very moment —not that she was not entitled to that feeling. Nevertheless, someone had to remind her why she could not afford taking her older sister in any longer.

“I... I can’t control it. M– My magic. It keeps getting stronger and I...” Zelena could not go on. She was trembling as she remembered that night on Regina’s couch, when the brunette had assured she was unhurt and had insisted magic could be difficult to control at first. As if on cue, the tingling was back in force.

At first, the only response to her words was the utter shock written on the other woman’s face. There was a soft noise when grass flattened under her boots. However, as soon as the redhead took a step back to keep her distance, the brunette stopped, still looking very much taken aback.

“Oh, Zelena. Of course you’d think that... It’s not as if I’d forgotten about the incident. It’s just been a very long day. I wasn’t thinking,” her sister said, soft and hesitant. She stepped forward again, a bit more decisively that time. “Come, let’s go home. We’re not angry, it’s–”

“Don’t you dare say it’s okay!” Zelena yelled, recoiling hastily. Her magic was reacting viciously to her fear and her outburst did nothing to strengthen her feeble grasp on it. “Nothing’s okay. I hurt Henry. You should be furious. You should be threatening me, not... not this,” she went on in the same high-pitched voice, struggling to control her tone as well.

Regina did not say anything. She just stared and frowned at her, until the silence became unbearable. The ginger could not even guess what was crossing her mind.

“If I go back, it will happen again,” she finally whispered.

“You’re right,” the brunette agreed after some seconds. Right away, something shattered within Zelena and her power hurried to fill the broken spaces. “You’ve been avoiding the issue and I’ve decided not to push it. If we continue like that, more incidents will surely follow. It ends now, though. So, please, calm down. You’re coming home with me and we’re going to fix this problem together.”

The redhead shook her head vehemently at the last suggestion.

“I can’t, Regina. I can’t wear the cuff again. I... I’ll live on my own. You can...” She swallowed and steeled herself. “You can even cast monitoring spells around the place, so you can know for sure I’m not up to anything.”

In fact, Regina could lock her up and there was little she could do to avoid it. Even if she were willing to fight, her lack of control would make her magic virtually useless in battle. Nevertheless, she hoped her sister trusted her enough to leave her alone. It was proof of her selfishness —despite loving her family deeply, she would rather live on her own than bear the cuff.

“Don’t be an idiot, sis,” the brunette interrupted her train of thought, rolling her eyes. “I’m not going to force the cuff on you. You need to relearn to control your powers. First step to do that: stop being afraid and repressing them. Honestly, I thought you were the magic expert.”

As cold as she was by then, Zelena felt her cheeks warming at the mild rebuke.

“And aren’t you afraid? I’ve hurt you and your son. I could... I could...” No matter how hard she tried, she could not bring herself to put the worst-case scenarios into words.

“It was an accident.” The firm reply cut in her babbling. “If hot water spilled by chance and scalded Henry while he was cooking, banishing him from the kitchen would be as irrational as kicking you out.” Regina sighed and Zelena realised she had come closer at some point without her noticing. “When I asked you to get out, I just meant the kitchen, not the house. I’d been trying to get your attention, but you wouldn’t stop panicking. The only way I could think of calming things down was to remove you from the room. It wasn’t because I was afraid. To be honest, I don’t think your magic would truly harm us.”

The redhead struggled to utter a reply. All she could manage was a pathetic, “You’re far too trusting.”

Her sister let out a short, sarcastic laugh, although Zelena could swear she really found the thought funny.

“I think you’re the first person to accuse me of that.” There was a small pause and, then, “Are you ready to come back now?”

The levity had died as soon as it had emerged. She shook her head once again, more slowly that time.

“I can’t,” she whispered. She did not know what else to say while she was feeling the magic pulse under her skin.

“You’re doing it again, sis. You need to stop bottling up all your energy. Maybe using a bit of magic every day would help.”

Zelena looked at her as if the younger woman had gone crazy. She almost failed to react in time when the brunette reached out. Startled, she stepped backwards, tripping in the process. Her sudden panic was cut short when two hands grabbed her shoulders and kept her from falling. She shrugged off Regina’s hold, only to find her wrists firmly grasped.

The brunette started to call her name, but Zelena’s alarm did not let her process a word. Instead, she focused on freeing herself.

“Regina, let me go. Let me go!” she shrieked, but the grip just tightened. She did not even notice it had started to feel almost painful. “Get away from me, I’m about to lose control. I’m... I can’t...”

Suddenly, one of her wrists was released. Right away, there was a hand —comfortingly warm— on her face. It forced her to look into deep brown eyes. Right then, she felt acutely aware of her uneven breathing.

“Calm down,” her sister ordered, but her voice was quiet and comforting. “Take a deep breath.” Zelena tried to push her away with her free hand, but Regina stood her ground and she could only feel her resilient heart beating under her palm. “Don’t worry. Let the magic flow. Nothing will happen, I promise.”

Zelena could not get any words out, all her focus directed on taming her power. When she shook her head, a few tears escaped and she was surprised because she had not felt them gather in her eyes. She attempted to beg her sister to protect herself one last time, but her magic kept demanding all her attention. It was on the brink of bursting out and, unconsciously, Zelena tightened her own fist in her sister’s blouse, as if she could physically stop it.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Let it go,” her sister continued coaxing her. A distant part of Zelena thought that, if they both survived, she would have to kill her sister for her recklessness.

After what felt like ages, her inner power won, lashing out violently. Zelena gritted her teeth, but not even a final, desperate tug made Regina loosen her grip. The redhead could feel her magic directed at those two points of contact the brunette maintained. They were burning, vibrant with their joint powers.

Finally, after some very long moments, the feeling subdued. The first thing she heard was Regina’s panting. Her grip slackened and her hands slipped off. Zelena tried to stop her fall, but she felt drained, too, and only succeeded in breaking it by sliding down to the ground with the smaller woman. She did not realise she was hugging her sister like a lifeboat until she felt a head moving away from her chest.

“Are you okay?” they muttered almost at once.

“Yes, just tired,” Regina answered, sinking into the embrace again after a glance up at the redhead.

Zelena said nothing, just hugging her tighter.

“That was a very foolish thing to do. I should tell Snow White, or Robin —see if they can knock some sense into you.” She would not, of course, since it would also mean admitting she was dangerous and Regina let her live in her house anyway.

“If you start using your magic on a daily basis, I doubt I’ll need to absorb any more epic bursts of raw power.”

“But I _can’t_, Regina,” stressed the redhead. “How am I going to do magic at home if I can’t control the damage?”

Regina sighed and, slowly, disentangled herself from the hug, sitting up. She looked tired, but there was a healthy glow in her cheeks. She made sure to look her older sister in the eye before speaking.

“You can use my vault to practise, if you’d like. Be sure to clear out first the dark artefacts, but I trust you know what you’re doing.”

Once again, a lump made it hard for Zelena to speak. She just nodded, watching her sister get up with some difficulty. She did not take her offering hand, though.

“I don’t think I’ve got the strength to stand on my feet,” she confessed, blushing slightly.

Regina huffed, but crouched down and passed an arm around her shoulders.

“Please, stop keeping secrets as well. A little less drama would suit us just fine.”

Zelena thought she should be offended, but she could not bring herself to feel any emotion other than weariness. Thus, she just let Regina poof them back —to her bedroom, specifically— and gave in the comfort of her bed. On second thoughts —that would come in the morning—, there was no way Regina was letting her off the hook so easily. It hardly mattered at the time, though.

She was home. It would be all right.

**THE END**


End file.
